Business rates - FAQs

As Business rate payments are mostly paid in advance, where there is a change in your circumstances a credit may occur on your account. These credits can be refunded to you after verification. 

A refund will only be completed if your account is in credit, and you do not owe any other amounts of Business rates.  

Reasons for overpayment 

A Business rates account can fall into credit for the following reasons: 

• a discount has been awarded 
• an exemption has been awarded 
• rate payer leaves the property or their liability ends 
• rate payer has overpaid 

Where a request for a refund is received for payment other than the original payer then the application will be subject to a validation check.  There may sometimes be a slight delay, because of this validation check in issuing the refund. After validation has taken place we will issue a refund, via BACS where possible, which is usually issued within 10 working days from the date of request.