Difficulty paying business rates
If you are having difficulties paying your business rates, the important thing is to act now. If you can't pay as requested, please contact our business rates team as we might be able to help and offer advice.
Final notice
If, by 30 September of the current financial year, you have failed to pay as requested on your business rates bill you will no longer have the right to pay by instalments.
We will send you a final notice stating you have 14 days to pay the full amount outstanding.
Should you wish to make an arrangement to pay the outstanding balance, contact our business rates team without delay.
Summary warrant
If you have not paid the amount requested on your final notice, nor made an acceptable payment arrangement with us, we will take legal proceedings for recovery of the total amount due. In such circumstances, we will apply to the Sheriff Court to grant a summary warrant against you.
When the Sheriff Court grants the summary warrant, a 10% penalty will be added to the outstanding balance for that financial year. At that time the debt will be passed directly to our Sheriff Officer to recover it and you will be contacted by them directly.
Allowing the debt to get to this stage could also result in additional charges being raised by the Sheriff Officers.
Failure to make full payment, or to contact your business rates office will result in us instructing Sheriff Officers to recover your outstanding business rates.