Final opportunity to benefit from the 2017 Property and Business rating list

The current (2017) Property and Business rating list is due to expire on 31 March 2022 and there is an opportunity for trusts to use the Analysis and Reconciliation (A&R) framework to help secure property cost savings covering:

• Business rates
• Service charges
• Property lease charges
• Rental charges
• VAT charges as applicable
• Insurance payments and exemptions

Under the current appeal regime, immediate action can be taken by trusts to set up on the HMRC portal, claim their properties and appoint Avison Young, the sole provider awarded to Lot 5 (Estates) of the Hub’s Analysis and Reconciliation (A&R) framework.

The government has also announced that the 2021 rating revaluation will be postponed. At present, the revaluation is now scheduled to come into effect on 1 April 2022, with a valuation date at 1 April 2019. We urge all of our members to engage with Lot 5 of our A&R framework and appoint Avison Young to advise for both the 2017 rating list and for the 2022 revaluations when the deadline for claim submission is known.

The Hub are working with Avison Young to run a webinar on their services and to produce a short video about trusts’ business rates, how they are derived and the process of challenging these. Details of the webinar and video will be circulated once details are confirmed.

A&R Lot 5 information

Lot 5 on our A&R framework provides a pre-procured route to engaging experts in property cost savings. These services require very little customer input other than to set up on the HMRC Government portal and provide property details.

Lot 5 covers:

• Checks on historical rent, rates and service charge demands for accuracy and recovery of any overpayments on the behalf of the customer.
• Checking and appealing any rateable value discrepancies, with a view to recovering excess payments and lowering future liabilities.
• Checking transitional adjustment in-order to establish any change to the rateable value that may have been proposed by the Valuation Officer.
• Identifying voids to receive the empty rate liability and ensure the correct amount of interest is payable on refunds received.

Rateable values for the majority of NHS trust properties have been found to be overstated; Avison Young are issuing significant numbers of checks and challenges to ensure these values are reduced in line with the memorandum of agreement, securing significant cash savings.

If you would like further information or to engage with Lot 5 of the A&R framework, please contact: NHSCS.estates@nhs.net