Birmingham Business Rates: Council Bills, Liability and VOA Valuations
Updated: Aug 18
Direct answer: Birmingham City Council handles business rates bills, payments, liability, most reliefs and recovery. The Valuation Office Agency handles the rating-list entry and rateable value. Sending the problem to the correct organisation—and providing a dated evidence pack—usually avoids unnecessary delay.
What this means in practice
Contact the council where the wrong occupier has been billed, occupation dates are incorrect, a payment is missing, relief has not been applied or recovery action is disputed. Contact the VOA where the property description, floor area, effective date, split, merger, deletion or rateable value may be wrong.
A practical example
A Birmingham tenant receives a bill covering three months before its lease began. The council needs the signed lease, completion statement, key-handover date and earlier bill. If the bill dates are correct but the property floor area is overstated, that separate valuation issue belongs with the VOA.
Documents and evidence to prepare
Latest bill and complete account statement.
Lease, licence, completion or surrender documents.
A simple timeline of occupation and empty periods.
Proof of payments and relevant council correspondence.
VOA property reference, valuation details, plans and photographs.
Copies of summons, liability-order or enforcement notices if recovery has started.
Recommended next steps
Identify whether the disputed fact concerns liability or valuation. Write a short chronology, number the supporting documents and state the correction requested. Continue dealing with any undisputed current liability where possible. If recovery is underway, ask the council to record the dispute and confirm its position in writing.
Official sources
Get case-specific help
If your Birmingham bill names the wrong occupier, uses incorrect dates, omits relief or is based on a questionable valuation, send us the latest bill and a short explanation. We will identify the correct route and the evidence required.
Article information
Written by Steve Adams, Business Rate Advisors Ltd. Reviewed by Mark Allen. Updated 18 August 2026. This article provides general information for businesses in England and Wales; individual outcomes depend on the facts and evidence.
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