Official statistics have revealed that the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) faces a backlog of almost 284,000 business rates appeals, sparking calls for urgent action from government.
The statistics showed 25% more appeals were unresolved in March 2015 than at the equivalent point in 2010.
While the government has previously blamed this on the large volume of appeals submitted, figures show that only 2% more have been received on the 2010 rating list compared with the equivalent point in the 2005 list.
A major spike in appeals took place earlier this year following new rules and deadlines introduced in the chancellor’s 2014 Autumn Statement – between January and March 2015, 201,000 appeals were submitted.
The rule change removed the ability to backdate any savings between 2010 and 2015, meaning businesses would lose out on five years of overpaid rates and only be repaid for rates overcharged between 2015 and 2017.
According to business rates specialist CVS, without more support and investment from government, the VOA could be heading towards a “business rates crisis”, with ratepayers facing significant delays in waiting for their appeals to be resolved.
Mark Rigby, chief executive of CVS, said: “These statistics show both the enormous scale of the challenge facing the VOA and the clear appetite from businesses for much more transparency over rates.”
