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Appointing an agent for business rates

You can manage your business rates yourself. You do not have to use an agent or ask someone to help you.

What an agent can do for you

You may want to appoint someone to deal with your business rates and the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) on your behalf. This is called your agent.

An agent may be a:

• rating agent
• friend
• relative
• trusted helper

If you choose to appoint an agent, they can add a property to your business rates valuation account.

They can also:

• discuss your propertys valuation with the VOA
• tell the VOA that your property details need changing
• tell the VOA that you think your rateable value is incorrect
• challenge the rateable value if necessary
• tell the VOA details about the rent you pay

These are all things you can do yourself. You do not have to get an agent to help you.

If an agent challenges your rateable value on your behalf, but the outcome remains in dispute, you may wish to appeal the valuation.

Appeals are made through a separate body called the Valuation Tribunal. You will need to provide extra authorisation for the agent to act on your behalf with the Valuation Tribunal.

Choosing a rating agent

It is important that if you decide to appoint a rating agent, you choose a reputable one.

All rating agents must follow the VOAs agent standards. These standards set out clear expectations for rating agents regarding:

• their behaviour
• their professional practice
• the service they provide to their customers

A joint code of practice has been published by three professional bodies:

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
• Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation
• Rating Surveyors Association (RSA)

Appointing an agent who is a member of one of these professional bodies may provide extra reassurance as they will be subject to that bodys rules and regulations.

The joint code of practice describes what rating agents can and cannot do. Rating agents must follow this code if they are members of one of the above organisations.

Read the?professional bodies joint code of practice.

A firm or individual may refer to themselves as a surveyor, rating advisor, rating consultant or similar. This does not mean they are a member of a professional body.

You should always check a firm or individuals background and professional status before signing a contract. You should check your contract carefully, including the length of the contract. Make sure you understand the services you are paying for, as well as the costs and any additional fees involved.

We have a checklist about choosing an agent on GOV.UK.

Your responsibilities

It is your responsibility to make sure the information your agent provides to the VOA is accurate. If the information an agent provides is not accurate, you might have to pay a penalty and pay any additional rates you owe.

We recommend you familiarise yourself with our Check process. This is where you can tell us about changes to your property or that you think your rateable value is incorrect.

Appointing an agent

You can appoint a rating agent, friend or relative as your agent. They will:

• register for a business rates valuation account and be given an agent code
• deal with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) on your behalf.

Register for a business rates valuation account using your existing Government Gateway user ID. If you do not have a Government Gateway user ID, you will create one when you register for an account.

Ask your agent for their agent code.

From your business rates valuation account, appoint the agent using their code.

Choose the properties you want the agent to manage.

You can have more than one agent acting for you on a property. The agents can all act for you at the same time.

Registering for a business rates valuation account.

Appointing a trusted helper

You will need to register for a business rates valuation account if you want to check or challenge the rateable value of your property.

You may not be able to register if you:

• are ill, have a disability or do not speak English
• do not have a British passport or National Insurance number
• have tried to register but have failed the individual identification stage.

If you cannot register for a business rates valuation account, you can appoint a trusted helper to set up your account for you. This is not the same as appointing an agent.

A trusted helper could be an agent, friend, family member or voluntary organisation.

Appoint a trusted helper.

If you choose to appoint a trusted helper, it is your responsibility to ensure any information submitted on your behalf is correct. If it is not correct, you might have to pay a penalty and pay any additional rates you owe.

See what your agent is doing

If you have an agent, you can see what they are doing for you from your business rates valuation account.

The VOA will also send you a message when any changes or updates are made, or when the VOA makes a decision. You do not need to respond to the messages.

Protecting your personal information

You should never share your business rates valuation account login details with anyone. This includes your agent, even if this person is a friend or family member.

Your agent should create their own account. Then you should appoint them through your account, using their agent code. A friend or family member will get an agent code when they register for a business rates valuation account themselves.

Removing an agent

You can stop an agent from acting for you on any of your properties.

You can remove an agent completely from your account so they can no longer do anything for you.

You can also appoint a different agent or different organisations for different properties.

Always check your contract before removing an agent. You may still have to pay their fees and for any information they have provided to the VOA.