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PO Box 5000
Town Hall
Chapel Road
Worthing
West Sussex
BN11 1JN -
Lines open 9am to 5pm - Monday to Friday
Council Tax and Business Rates: 01903 221061
Housing and Council Tax Benefit: 01903 221062 - revsbens@worthing.gov.uk
Business Rates
Council Tax and Business Rates: 01903 221061
Housing and Council Tax Benefit: 01903 221062
The Business Rates collected by Councils is paid into a central pool and redistributed on a population basis to Councils. There are special arrangements for the City of London. This income, together with income from Council Tax and the Revenue Support Grant from central Government, is used to pay for the services provided by the Council.
Latest news
PayPoint
The Council has changed the appearance of its bills for cash payers. The payment slips previously attached to the bill have been discontinued. In order to facilitate an efficient change-over, payment through PayPoint has been introduced.
Those bills will now incorporate a bar code which when presented at any PayPoint outlet or Post Office (with payment) will identify the relevant Business Rates account number. There is no charge for this facility.
PayPoint is a convenient and easy way to pay. Payment can be made at any retail outlet that displays the PayPoint logo.
A list of outlets can be found by entering the postcode or location of the area that you wish to make the payment from, into the website at www.paypoint.co.uk/locator or by ringing 01707 600300 for details.
Small Business Rate Relief
The Government announced in the last budget that they would make changes to Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR).
During the last financial year (2010/11), the Government increased the level of relief for the period from 1 October 2010 and this relief continued into the current financial year until 30 September 2011. This increased relief was due to end from 1 October 2011 but the latest changes mean that the current level of SBRR will continue for another year until 30 September 2012.
If the Rateable Value of your property is £6,000 or below you will not have any Business Rates for 2011/12, and if the Rateable Value is between £6,001 and £11,999 the amount you pay will be reduced.
Changes to Empty Rates from 1 April 2011
In general, after a property has been empty for more than three months, or six months in the case of industrial properties, no empty property relief is given and a full charge is payable.
Many properties continue to be wholly exempt whilst empty, for example listed building, properties in the hands of executors, trustees in bankruptcy or liquidators.
Very small properties under a specified Rateable Value have always been exempt whilst empty. In the 2010 revaluation this Rateable Value was set at £2,600. However, prior to 1 April 2010 the Government increased this minimum Rateable Value threshold to £18,000, making many more properties exempt from empty rates.
With effect from 1 April 2011 this threshold will revert to £2,600.
As a nationally determined 'property tax', there are no legislative provisions upon Councils to provide services specifically for Business Rate payers. However, in addition to providing a range of services to the Business community (for which there may be a separate charge), the Council actively seeks consultation in determining its expenditure plans. Formal consultation normally takes place twice a year November and January.The explanatory notes leaflet for 2011/12 is available below.
On-line access to services
The new secure self-service system is an ideal way to view general information about Rateable Values within Worthing, or personal details about your Business Rates account.
As a Business Rates payer, you can register to see details about your own account, including the charge, and relief or exemption granted, payments that have been made (but please note that payments made today will not be shown) and finally your account balance.
Please take me to Self Service
Other pages with information about Business Rates are available by using the links on the left-hand side of this page.
Amount Payable
The Council has no part in the normal setting of the level of charge for Business Rates, subject to certain discretionary reliefs.
You can obtain further information about Business Rates including the Rateable Value of any property on the Business Link website.
The calculation for the amount payable is the Rateable Value x Multiplier = Full Charge
Both these figures are set by Central Government.
There are two multipliers:
- For 2008/9, the first (which applies to businesses that are eligible for Small Business Rate Relief) is 45.8p. The second (which applies to all other businesses) is 46.2p
- For 2009/10, the first (which applies to businesses that are eligible for Small Business Rate Relief) is 48.1p. The second (which applies to all other businesses) is 48.5p
- For 2010/11, the first (which applies to businesses that are eligible for Small Business Rate Relief) is 40.7p. The second (which applies to all other businesses) is 41.4p
- For 2011/12, the first (which applies to businesses that are eligible for Small Business Rate Relief) is 42.6p. The second (which applies to all other businesses) is 43.3p
The full charge may be subject to an adjustment in respect of empty rates, reliefs & exemptions or transitional arrangements.
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