Check Challenge and Appeal – Brave New World or Cloud Cuckoo Land?

Check Challenge and Appeal (CCA) is the largest change to the appeals regime for non-domestic rates since the 1988 Local Government Finance Act, and potentially since the Crown stopped counting windows as a property tax.

Ratepayers’ advisors and in-house teams will need to become familiar with the CCA regulations.

Start Date	Venue	Price
12 June 2017	Eversheds Sutherland LLP, Birmingham
19 June 2017	Eversheds Sutherland, Manchester
17 July 2017	Eversheds Sutherland LLP, London

Note: All prices are to be paid in GBP and are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate

Event duration: Half Day Event (3 hours 30 minutes CPD) (Breakfast and Refreshments Included).
Registration from: 09:15. Event starts at: 09:45. Event finishes at: 13:30.

Download and print your full course brochure here not available

CCA is a massive step change in the way ratepayers and their advisors investigate, challenge and correct their rating assessments. It is also a huge shift in the way the VOA engages and interacts with the ratepayers and their advisors.

There is a fear that ratepayers and their advisors will not be able to follow the procedures and timetable to successfully challenge their assessments. From 1 April 2017, there will be no opportunity to lodge a proposal for £1 and then collect evidence in time for the VT hearing – valuation and comparable evidence is required upfront and it will be difficult to include new evidence later.

CCA is for the 2017 Rating List; but appeals relating to the 2010 List also have revised procedures.

This practical and solution focused seminar is essential for practitioners who advise on rating; particularly those that don’t do rating work exclusively.

Speakers

Blake Penfold BSc FRICS MCIArb, Business Rates Consultant, Blake Penfold Consultancy
Josh Myerson FRICS Dip.Rating IRRV (Hons), Partner and Head of Rating, Montagu Evans LLP; Previous Past President, The Rating Surveyors' Association
Richard New BA (Hons), Partner, Mills & Reeve LLP
Alex Wright, Senior Associate, Eversheds Sutherland
Natalie Minott, Partner, Hewitsons LLP
Andrew Hetherton MRICS IRRV (Hons) Cert Ed, Director, Andrew Hetherton Consulting Ltd, Past President and a IRRV Council Member & Immediate Past Chairman of Accessible Retail
Arren Thornton, Principal Associate, Eversheds Sutherland LLP

Programme

Introduction and Scene Setting

How and when do the Regulations apply?
Positions in England, Wales and Scotland
Difference between 2010 and 2017 Lists
What are the Regulations?

The Non-Domestic Rating (Alteration of Lists and Appeals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2017)
The Valuation Tribunal for England (Council Tax and Rating Appeals) (Procedure) (Amendment) Regulations 2017

The new VOA Government Gateway web portal

Registration process
Uploading information
Communication between VOA and Agent
Communication to the ratepayer

“Check” stage

How and when to initiate a check
What information is needed?
How to return new or amended information?
Civil penalties for inaccurate information
When is it complete?
Significance of the check

Facts agreed
Material day set

“Challenge” stage

When can a challenge be made?
What’s involved in a challenge?
What evidence is required and when does it have to be presented?
Opportunities to negotiate?
How is a challenge concluded?

"Appeal" stage

When can an appeal be made?
How to appeal to the VTE
What evidence is required and what can be subsequently introduced?
How are appeals heard?
What are the fees?
Can fees be refunded?
What are the VTE powers?
Has “within the bounds of reasonable professional judgement” been dropped
What is “reasonable” and can the List be altered?
Appealing to the UT

Changes to the 2010 Appeals Process

New VTE Practice statement
Revised requirements for exchange of evidence
When do these apply?