Business Rates Advice in Birmingham

Independent help with Birmingham City Council and VOA business rates problems

An incorrect business rates bill can place considerable pressure on a business, particularly where the council has recorded the wrong occupier, used incorrect dates or failed to apply an available relief. The problem may instead relate to the property’s rateable value, floor area, description or the way it has been entered in the rating list. Those matters are dealt with by the Valuation Office Agency rather than Birmingham City Council.

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Business Rate Advisors Ltd helps Birmingham businesses identify where the problem lies, prepare the supporting evidence and deal with the appropriate authority. You will deal directly with Steve Adams or Mark Allen throughout your case.

Request a free initial review

Send us your latest business rates bill, the property address and a brief explanation of the problem.

We will review the initial information and explain whether the issue concerns Birmingham City Council, the Valuation Office Agency or both.

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Business rates problems in Birmingham

Birmingham contains a wide variety of commercial property, from city-centre offices and shops to industrial units, workshops, warehouses, restaurants, pubs and mixed-use buildings. Problems often arise following a change in tenant, an expansion into adjoining premises, the division of a building or alterations that have not been correctly reflected in the rating list.

We regularly advise on matters involving:

Incorrect ratepayers
Wrong occupation or vacation dates
Landlords being billed instead of tenants
Former tenants continuing to receive bills
Missing or withdrawn business rates relief
Backdated demands
Empty-property charges
Duplicate accounts or assessments
Incorrect rateable values
Property splits, mergers and deletions
Summonses and liability orders
Enforcement-agent action
Unexplained credits or account adjustments

Before contacting the council or VOA, we establish what the correct outcome should be and what evidence will be needed to support it.

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Birmingham City Council billing disputes

Birmingham City Council is responsible for issuing business rates bills, deciding who is liable and applying the relevant reliefs and exemptions.

A billing dispute may arise where:

The wrong company or individual is named
The liability dates do not match the lease or occupation
A landlord is charged while a tenant occupies the property
A tenant is charged after leaving
The council has not closed an old account
A payment has been allocated incorrectly
Relief has not been applied
The bill does not reflect a VOA alteration
More than one bill has been issued for the same liability

The council may ask for leases, completion statements, keys, rent records, utility bills, photographs or other evidence showing who occupied the premises and when. We can examine the billing history, identify the relevant facts and present the case to Birmingham City Council on your behalf.

Is the rateable value wrong?

Birmingham City Council does not set a property’s rateable value. That is the responsibility of the Valuation Office Agency.

The rateable value is used by the council to calculate the business rates bill. If the underlying assessment is wrong, correcting the council account alone will not resolve the problem.

A rating assessment may need to be reviewed where:

The floor area is incorrect
Parking, storage or external areas have been wrongly included
The property description does not match its use
The valuation method appears inappropriate
Comparable properties are assessed differently
Alterations have changed the premises
Part of the property has been demolished
The property cannot reasonably be occupied during substantial works
One assessment covers areas occupied by different businesses
Adjoining assessments should form one property
The effective date appears wrong

A valuation challenge requires evidence. Simply stating that the bill is unaffordable or that the rent is lower than the rateable value will not normally be enough.

The 2026 business rates revaluation

New rateable values took effect on 1 April 2026. For the 2026 rating list, the Valuation Office Agency considered rental values at the valuation date of 1 April 2024. A business’s rateable value is not necessarily the same as the rent currently being paid. However, rent, lease terms, floor areas and comparable assessments can all be relevant when checking whether the valuation is reasonable.

Following the revaluation, a Birmingham business may find that:

Its rateable value has increased or decreased
A different multiplier applies
Transitional Relief affects the amount payable
Small Business Rate Relief has changed
The property no longer qualifies for a previous reduction
The council has used an incorrect property classification
Information held by the VOA needs to be corrected

We can review the new assessment, compare it with the previous entry and advise whether there is a reasonable basis for taking the matter further.

VOA Check and Challenge

Disputes over rateable value and rating-list information are normally pursued through the VOA’s Check and Challenge process.

A Check involves confirming the facts held about the property. These can include:

The floor area
The property description
The nature of the occupation
The valuation scheme
Car parking and external areas
The effective date
Structural alterations
The extent of the assessment

If the matter is not resolved at Check, it may be possible to submit a Challenge supported by a statement of case and relevant evidence. We can review the assessment, prepare the property evidence and deal directly with the VOA. Where appropriate, we can also advise on the next step if the Challenge is unsuccessful.

Business rates relief in Birmingham

Birmingham City Council administers a number of mandatory and discretionary reliefs.

Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

Small Business Rate Relief
Supporting Small Business Relief
Charitable rate relief
Discretionary relief for non-profit organisations
Empty-property relief
Part-occupied property relief
Hardship relief
Transitional Relief
Improvement relief
Pub and live music venue relief
Heat-network relief
Electric vehicle charging-point relief
Other local or sector-specific schemes

Some reliefs are applied automatically, while others require an application. Eligibility can depend on the ratepayer, the property’s use, its rateable value and any other premises occupied by the business. Relief rules should be checked against the financial year covered by the bill. Receiving a reduction in an earlier year does not guarantee that the same scheme or percentage will continue.

Business Improvement District levies

Some Birmingham properties are located within Business Improvement Districts and may receive a separate BID levy demand. A BID levy is not the same as ordinary business rates. A reduction in the business rates bill or rateable value may not automatically remove the BID liability. If your account includes a BID levy, the relevant BID arrangements and billing dates should be checked separately.

Empty and partly occupied properties

A commercial property that becomes empty may qualify for an initial rates-free period. Certain types of property may also receive a continuing exemption.

The precise position can depend on:

The date the previous occupation ended
The type of property
Whether the premises are capable of occupation
Whether occupation is prohibited by law
The rateable value
The owner’s legal status
Any subsequent period of occupation

Where only part of a property is temporarily occupied, Birmingham City Council may have discretion to request a temporary apportionment of the assessment. If the division is permanent, an application to split the property through the VOA may be more appropriate.

Property splits, mergers and deletions

The way a property appears in the rating list should reflect its physical layout and actual occupation. A split may be required where different businesses separately occupy and control clearly identifiable parts of one assessment. A merger may be appropriate where the same business occupies adjoining premises that should be treated as one property.

Deletion may be considered where a property has been demolished or is undergoing works of such a nature that it is no longer capable of beneficial occupation. These applications require clear plans, photographs, occupation details and effective-date evidence. The likely effect on the resulting rateable values and available relief should also be considered before an application is made.

Business rates arrears and enforcement

Missed instalments can lead to the right to pay by instalments being withdrawn. Birmingham City Council may then issue a summons and apply to the Magistrates’ Court for a liability order. If the debt remains unpaid, further recovery action can follow, including referral to enforcement agents or insolvency proceedings where the relevant conditions are met.

Receiving a summons or enforcement notice does not necessarily mean the underlying bill is correct. However, a dispute does not automatically suspend recovery action.

It is important to establish:

Which period the debt covers
Whether the correct ratepayer has been charged
Whether all payments have been credited
Whether relief is missing
Whether an account alteration is outstanding
Whether the VOA assessment is being challenged
Whether the council has already obtained a liability order
Whether the debt has been passed to enforcement agents

We can review the account, identify any substantive dispute and contact the council where there is a proper basis for requesting corrective action or discussing payment. We cannot guarantee that recovery action will be stopped, but presenting the relevant evidence promptly can make a significant difference.

Birmingham areas we cover

We assist businesses throughout the Birmingham City Council area, including the city centre, Jewellery Quarter, Digbeth, Aston, Edgbaston, Selly Oak, Harborne, Handsworth, Erdington, Perry Barr, Small Heath, Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath and Kings Heath. Our service is not limited to a particular type or size of business. We advise occupiers, landlords and property owners across retail, hospitality, office, industrial, warehouse and mixed-use premises.

What information should you send us?

For a free initial review, please provide:

The latest business rates bill
The full property address
The ratepayer’s name
The VOA reference number, if available
The occupation and vacation dates
A copy of the lease or licence
Details of any other business premises
Previous correspondence with Birmingham City Council
Previous correspondence with the VOA
Photographs or plans where the property has changed
Copies of any summons or enforcement notice

You do not need to have every document before contacting us. The latest bill and a clear explanation of the problem are normally enough for an initial discussion.

How we can help

Our Birmingham business rates service can include:

Reviewing the council account
Checking liability and occupation dates
Examining relief entitlement
Reviewing the rateable value
Comparing the property with similar assessments
Preparing VOA Check and Challenge cases
Dealing with property splits, mergers or deletions
Contacting Birmingham City Council
Responding to VOA enquiries
Checking revised bills and refunds
Advising on arrears and enforcement
Reviewing the next step following an adverse decision

We will explain the strengths, risks and likely practical outcome before recommending that you proceed.

Why choose Business Rate Advisors Ltd?

Business Rate Advisors Ltd has advised businesses on council and VOA matters since 2013. You will deal directly with Steve Adams or Mark Allen. We take the time to understand the property, occupation and billing history rather than sending a standard letter that does not address the real problem. Our advice is evidence-based and covers both sides of the business rates system: the VOA assessment and the council account.

Request your free Birmingham business rates review

Send us your latest Birmingham City Council business rates bill and a short explanation of the problem.

We will review the initial information and explain what can reasonably be done.

Call Steve Adams: 07415048643
Call Mark Allen: 07376443943
Office: 01225667747