Business Rates

[lucyo]

Good morning,

I purchased a school in December 16, long story and lots of dramas which I will not bore you with here.

I am currently paying horrendous business tax which since April has increased as the RV more than doubled.

My question is, at what stage can I have council tax?  I have my plans ready to submit for change of use, do I have to wait for that to be granted before

I go to VOA to beg for a reduction?

I was not allowed empty premises as the school board used all that up before my purchase.  I asked for a reduction as the property is no longer a school so it was changed to Premises/Business.  The rates are going to make me bankrupt before the build begins!

I am in Wales BTW.

[dogman]

If you are not making money don't you get a small business exemption, 

[lucyo]

Nope, rateable value is too high for exemption. 

[Ferdinand]

I am not sure how to tackle this directly, but the VOA and presumably the Welsh equivalent should have a helpline.

 

This may be one where a specialist paid-by-results consultant may help - say if they get 15% of what you save.

 

One elephant trap: is this one where your rebate will only backdate to the time you Appeal (or whatever the process), rather than when you bought it? Which puts a premium on Appealing quickly.

 

Is there something you can do to the building to make it ineligible as a school by definition? eg take the roof off or disconnect the water or find asbestos or demolish? That needs a specialist answer. Or could you sublet it short term and retrigger the exemption, or rent it to  a charity?

F

 

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by Ferdinand

[MikeSharp01]

Just a chance here but did your legal team not spot this and give you a heads up? Might be a case against them if they did not.