I have received a Business Rates reminder

Payment of Business Rates is a legally enforceable debt and the council has numerous powers to recover any amounts that are not paid. You have previously been issued with a Business Rates bill which detailed the amount to be paid and the dates on which payment was due.

You have been sent a reminder because insufficient payments have been received on your Business Rates account. All Business Rates bills provide details of when and how payment should be made. This may include an instalment plan, or a single payment.

The purpose of the reminder is to inform you that your account is in arrears and must be brought up to date. The reminder notice details the amount by which your account is in arrears. In order to avoid any further recovery action this amount should be paid in full within 7 days of the date of the reminder notice.

It is important to ensure that all future payments are made on time to avoid further reminder notices being issued to you.

Information on the reminder will also tell you about the actions which can be taken if the outstanding balance is not paid. If you do not pay the amount stated on your reminder, your full balance will become payable. You will also be sent a Magistrate Court Summons and costs of £48.00 being added to your account. At the Court hearing the Council will ask the Court to grant a Liability Order against you for the dull balance outstanding. At that time, a further £26.00 will be added to your account. 

If you are unable to pay the amount in full as requested on the reminder notice please contact the Business Rates Section immediately in order to discuss your account further. All reasonable payment proposals will be considered.

If you have paid the outstanding amount since the date of issue shown on the reminder you need take no further action.

• You may be able to set up a direct debit, this is the most convenient way to pay your Business Rates and you can choose to pay over 10 or 12 months on the 1st, 7th, 15th or 25th.
• If you think you have already paid the amount by debit card, cheque, by Direct Debit or Standing Order, please check that the amount has been taken out of your bank account. If your payment has been sent please contact us on 01302 734454 with the details of how and when you made your payment and the account information. If you have paid by cash you will need to provide a receipt as proof of payment. You can also report a missing payment online.

• By debit card over the phone or online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0333 2000 324 or at www.doncaster.gov.uk, simply look for, Pay for it, then select Business Rates and follow the instructions
• You can pay by cash or Debit card at any Post Office at no additional cost using the bar code on the correspondence. The bar code on any correspondence sent to you allows you to pay cash at any outlet where you see the paypoint sign. To find your nearest paypoint locations visit the Paypoint website. There is no cost for using this service.

Please note, a payment shows on your Business Rates account when the Council receives it. You should take this into account especially if you have paid by cheque, by Standing Order, at the Post Office or via paypoint.

Contact us at the earliest opportunity. Don`t wait until you receive a Summons to court, as this will add additional costs to your account. You may be able to pay over a longer period and at different intervals without the need for further action.

• If specific payment terms can't be agreed then recovery action will continue. This means that a Summons and Liability Order will be obtained. This allows the council to take further action in the future if payments are not made or if you default on any agreement to pay including costs. If further action is necessary, as long as you keep in contact, Business Rates staff will work with you to find a solution and will treat you with courtesy and respect at all times.
• Please provide information about your income and expenditure if requested. This helps Business Rates staff to make a payment arrangement that takes into account your ability to pay. 
• It is in your best interests to keep in contact and keep to any payment arrangement that can be agreed.

You should be aware that once a summons and Liability order have been obtained, if it then becomes necessary to pass your account to an Enforcement Agent for further action, the following costs would be added to your account. It is therefore in your interests to make contact as early as possible:

a) Notice of Enforcement (instruction to take action) £75.00 per Liability Order

b) First visit by an Enforcement Agent – fixed fee of £235.00 plus 7.5% of any balance owed over £1,500.00

c) Sale and removal of goods – fixed fee of £110.00 plus 7.5% of any balance owed over £1,500.00 plus reasonable storage and auctioneers fees.

If you do not pay your reminder as instructed on your letter, a summons letter will be sent to you, to attend a Liability Order hearing at Doncaster Magistrates Court. Your full balance will become due and costs of £48.00 will be added to your account.

City of Doncaster Council is committed to helping Ratepayers in genuine financial difficulty but will pursue those who refuse to pay.

Following the the Court granting of a Liability Order against you, further action can include deducting amounts from your earnings or a visit from an Enforcement Agent. Don’t let this happen to you, contact Business Rates now on 01302 734454 (option 2).