Business rates and approval from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA)

Robin9

vista99 said:

Robin9 said:

I'm doing some similar. for a building which missed the system altogether for some reason.The VOA has been quite quick, accepting a utility bill, copy lease, plans etc within a week. Council has advised me that they will be doing a site visit.

Have your council approved your grant?

Yes all was satisfactorily resolved 

Airwolf1

vista99 said:

Unfortunately council refused grant. Although VOA approved split of the property from 01-02-20 but council says because application for split to VOA was after 11-03-20 therefore my application does not qualify for grant. 

Go back to them. quote https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-youre-eligible-for-the-coronavirus-small-business-grant-fund in particular:

Eligibility

You’re eligible if your business:

• is based in England
• occupies property
• was eligible for small business rate relief (including tapered relief) or rural rate relief on 11 March 2020

Changes made to a business’s rateable value or rating assessment after 11 March 2020 will not affect eligibility.

Council's can still pay the grant up to 28 September for ongoing cases and it looks like yours is an ongoing case. 

vista99

Robin9 said:

vista99 said:

Robin9 said:

I'm doing some similar. for a building which missed the system altogether for some reason.The VOA has been quite quick, accepting a utility bill, copy lease, plans etc within a week. Council has advised me that they will be doing a site visit.

Have your council approved your grant?

Yes all was satisfactorily resolved 

Thank you for your message. Did you applied for partition after 11-03-2020

vista99

Airwolf1 said:

vista99 said:

Unfortunately council refused grant. Although VOA approved split of the property from 01-02-20 but council says because application for split to VOA was after 11-03-20 therefore my application does not qualify for grant. 

Go back to them. quote https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-youre-eligible-for-the-coronavirus-small-business-grant-fund in particular:

Eligibility

You’re eligible if your business:

• is based in England
• occupies property
• was eligible for small business rate relief (including tapered relief) or rural rate relief on 11 March 2020

Changes made to a business’s rateable value or rating assessment after 11 March 2020 will not affect eligibility.

Council's can still pay the grant up to 28 September for ongoing cases and it looks like yours is an ongoing case. 

Thank you for your message. "Changes made to a business’s rateable value or rating assessment after 11 March 2020 will not affect eligibility." What it does mean. I think that council interpreted as "if change is made after 11 March 2020 then ratepayer is not eligible"
I applied on after 11 March 2020 but it was w.e.f. 01-02-2020.

Kind Regards

Airwolf1

It may be open to interpretation, but I would hope it means that you would be considered, as your effective date was 1 Feb 2020.

Robin9

Councils do have discretion in these matters . The payment was automatic and did not have to be claimed. I contacted my council in June when I realised something was not right - I was passed from department to department and eventually went to the top. My situation was a bit odd but at the end of the day the council produced back dated rates bills and that triggered the automatic payment.