Business rates can account for a major part of the cost of running a high street business and along with the current rating itself, which you may disagree with, it may be possible to secure rebates from historic business rates liabilities as well.

A rating audit can deliver refunds through the forensic analysis of historic rates bills held by councils. It is completely different to a conventional rates appeal.Rates liabilities can be checked back as far as the 1990s to look for errors that have gone undetected.

Examples include:

• Incorrect application of transitional relief
• Transitional certificates not being issued
• Material change in circumstance allowances not applied
• Failure to apply different reliefs
• Rateable Value reductions not implemented.
• Unenforceable backdated rates bills.

Visit us at savethehighstreet.org and join our national campaign