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 in time, we will arrange for a summons to be issued. This will incur court costs of £90 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.

If you arrange with us to make the payment, you do not need to attend the court hearing. The summons will be heard in your absence and we will apply for a liability order, which adds a further £35 to your bill.

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 immediately charge you £75. if they start recovery action against you, this will add further charges of at least £235. These amounts are not set by us but are statutory amounts and cannot be refunded once charged.

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.