Nearly Half of Business Rates Appeals Taking Over 12 Months to Resolve - Elizabeth Bradley Quoted in Property Week

BCLP said the surge in cases, and the scale of the increase in cases taking more than 12 months, point to a system “under significant pressure”.

The VOA’s figures show half of challenges under the 2023 list resulted in an agreed adjustment.

BCLP partner Elizabeth Bradley said: “It is becoming the norm for business rates appeals to take more than a year to resolve. For ratepayers, that means a much longer period of uncertainty.

“The system is clearly under strain and although around half of challenges do result in an agreed adjustment, the length of the process means many businesses are left without clarity for an extended period.”

She added: “Prolonged uncertainty around their rates liability is now influencing investment decisions.”

The hike in appeals comes ahead of new rateable values (RVs) coming into effect on 1 April – also the deadline for appeals under the 2023 list – and

BCLP said recent rates reforms, including new multipliers, are likely to generate a further increase in disputes. From 1 April, businesses will then be able to appeal their new RVs.

The draft RVs, released by the VOA after the November Budget, show total RV across all 2.13 million rated properties is set to rise 19.2% from the 2023 list to £84.4bn.

Bradley added: “Every new rating list generates a surge of early challenges and the 2026 list will be no exception. The concern is that this surge will hit a system already under pressure.

“The VOA is still clearing appeals from the 2017 list while simultaneously dealing with a growing backlog from the 2023 list. With the 2026 list about to open, the system risks carrying two generations of unresolved disputes at once.”

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