Warning Of False Claims - Be Aware Of False Claims About Deadlines To Appeal The 2023 List For Business Rates

2nd July 2024

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is aware of false claims about upcoming deadlines to appeal the 2023 rating lists.

These are not true. You should be wary of anyone making these claims.

You are generally able to challenge your property valuation on the 2023 list at any time until March 2026. Any claim of an earlier deadline, for example the end of June or August this year, are false.

You should be cautious of any agent who:

tries to pressure you to make a decision or sign a contract
makes claims about ‘unclaimed credits' or similar
says they are acting on behalf of the VOA
demands large sums of money up front

Remember - you don't have to use an agent to manage your business rates.

If you want an agent to manage your business rates, use our checklist to choose an agent. Don't let an agent choose you.
https://valuationoffice.blog.gov.uk/2024/04/11/how-to-choose-a-business-rates-agent/

We also have new guidance on staying safe from scammers.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/staying-safe-from-scammers

Our VOA agent standards set out clear expectations for agents regarding:

their behaviour
their professional practice
the service they provide to their customers

The vast majority of agents are reputable and provide a good service. But a small minority act in bad faith.

We collect evidence of poor agent behaviour and practices in the course of our work. This evidence allows us to proactively address issues or concerns.

If you are concerned about potential misrepresentation by agents, send any evidence to ccaservice@voa.gov.uk

The above release applies to England but many of the same problems exist in Scotland.

For appeals against non domestic rates in Scotland go to - https://www.mygov.scot/non-domestic-rates-appeals