78,000 businesses referred to bailiffs over business rate defaults
0More than 78,000 businesses were referred to bailiffs for non-payment of business rates in 2018/19, according to new research.
Property consultant Altus Group said that a Freedom of Information requests were made to all local authorities in England.
The responses, which cover 88.66% of all non-domestic properties, show a total of 69,367 instructions to Bailiffs were made being 4.05% of all premises with Altus Group forecasting that the overall number at 78,325.
Birmingham City Council made a total of 3,755 referrals to Bailiffs last year over business rate arrears, the highest of any council, followed by Westminster and Manchester City Councils with 3,007 and 2,701 referrals respectively.
Robert Hayton, head of UK business rates at Altus, said: “It is not the mechanics of the rating system that is of primary concern of business but the level of the actual rates bills.
“With the highest property taxes across the EU, the chancellor should recognise this in his upcoming Autumn Budget by removing the automatic inflationary increase.”
