If you’re having difficulties in paying your business rates, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can discuss payment options with you.

If you delay contacting us, things are likely to get worse and we can normally help overcome temporary difficulties.

If you miss a payment or are late in paying, we will first issue you with a reminder notice, giving you seven days to pay the outstanding amount.

If you do not pay the reminder notice in time, we will send you a final notice. This requires payment within seven days of the full balance owing for the year.

If you do not pay the full amount of the final notice by the due date, we will arrange for a summons to be issued. This will incur court costs of £121 and require you to attend a magistrate's court. If you pay the full balance plus cost before the date of the hearing, you will not have to attend.

Liability order

A liability order lets us take a range of actions, including:

• instructing enforcement agents to collect the money or remove goods and personal effects for sale at public auction
• bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings

Enforcement agencies

If we pass your debt to an enforcement agency, they will charge an initial compliance fee of £79. If recovery action begins, further enforcement fees of at least £247 will be added, plus 7.5% on any balance over £1,900. These fees are set by law, are not determined by us and cannot be removed or refunded once they have been applied. Fees are charged in accordance with the Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026. 

Contact us

If you agree you owe the money but cannot afford to pay in full before the hearing, contact us. Action will continue but you may be able to agree an extended payment arrangement.

If you have a query about your business rates, contact us before the day of the hearing. The magistrates court cannot deal with benefit queries.