Latest appeal stats show business rates appeals system creaking under pressure and lack of resource at the VOA

According to government statistics, in the first sixth months of the new 2023 list (1st April to 30th September 2023), 30,950 checks (the first part of the appeal process) were registered of which almost 40%,12,160 still remain outstanding. Only 2,530 have progressed to the challenge stage and of these challenges, only 180 have been resolved (a low 7 %). In addition 8.3 % of all challenges have been labelled as “incomplete” by the VOA and therefore void. Given the difficulty for businesses in registering a check in CCA in the first place, with the amount of detail businesses need to provide so that most businesses now have to use professional rating surveyors, Colliers says this level of rejection, often on a technicality, is unacceptable and shows how arduous this system is for ratepayers.

Looking at the CCA stats for the 2017 list, also reported, the picture becomes even more concerning. The latest figures reveal 37,470 challenges against the 2017 list are still outstanding. This means almost seven years after the start of the 2017 rating list, 21% of the appeals submitted have not been resolved.