Business Rates

[pete 128]

Hi all. Just wondering if anyone has experience of business rates on their yards? I have an 11 acre small holding, where I live, we have sheep and a few sheds and I run my timber business from here; I have had an inquiry from the council as to whether I buy in and process timber and should I be paying business rates. I do store some timber at home, but do not buy any in, the timber is from woodland management and tree surgery. I was wondering how much you guys pay for you business rates on your yards? Any information or advice would be a great help. Regards, Pete.

[likeitorlumpit]

Industrial unit £150 pcm

Theres small business rate relief

If the rentable value of your unit is less than £6000 (I think) there are no rates to pay. Sliding scale to about £12000

It'[s a mafia protection racket- you pay us (the council) to do business in our town- you don't even get your bins collected or in our case our road swept.

[Paul Jenks]

We have to pay £8000 for the privilage of doing business in South Oxfordshire. It's just another tax. Deal with it. Some pay it, most don't.

On the up side they do clear the fly tipping from around our way pretty quickly. Maybe we should have a company policy to shove all the rakings out on a side road at the end of the day and save us the hassle of dealing with them. At least it is green waste so we could salve our conscience. But then I guess the brigade that drop off dishwashers, tyres, fridges and kitchen sinks don't have a conscience.

 

Bitter? Me? not at all.

[Gareth Dalzell]

When we built our first proper office about 12 years ago the rates were triggered by the building control sign off after completion. So from that day on we've been paying commercial rates. Fair enough - we run a business and it's an overhead.

 

BUT- I am one of only a handfull of contractors paying business rates. I,d say locally out of 100 contractors, if even 1% are paying business rates I,d be very surprised. How do I know this - well in Northern Ireland all the information about domestic and non-domestic rateable values is on the VLA website so you just type in their business address and Bob,s your uncle no business rateable valuation at their address.

 

Paul -am I bitter - my Rate therapist says I have a valuation complex!

[treequip]

Industrial unit £150 pcm

Theres small business rate relief

If the rentable value of your unit is less than £6000 (I think) there are no rates to pay. Sliding scale to about £12000

It'[s a mafia protection racket- you pay us (the council) to do business in our town- you don't even get your bins collected or in our case our road swept[/b].

 

A common misconception

 

You could be forgiven for getting annoyed IF the L.A. Got to keep the non domestic rate but they don't, it goes to central government. Well that's what the rates people told me anyhow.

[pete 128]

Thanks for all your help, regards Pete