Unpaid business rates

Reminder Notices

It is important that you pay your business rates on or before the due date.

You will receive a Reminder Notice if:

  • you didn't pay the correct amount and on the correct date as shown on your bill
  • your payment didn't reach your business rates account by the time the reminder was issued
  • you missed a payment

We don't send further Reminder Notices for each missing or late instalment. Only one will be issued within a financial year. If you continue to miss payments or pay late, you will be sent either a:

What to do if you paid the correct amount on the correct date

If you have paid the correct amount on by the date stated on the bill, you will need to check if the payment has cleared. You can do this by checking your bank statement. If the payment has cleared, but the council has not received it you will need to provide proof. Once we have seen that we'll update your account.

You can provide the following proofs of payment:

  • your bank or credit card statement showing the payment
  • a receipt of the payment
  • any other valid proof that you have to clearly show the payment in question

You will need to submit the proof with a cover letter, explaining which payment has gone missing. Submit it using the evidence form.

What to do if you didn't pay the correct amount or missed a payment

You must pay the amount shown on the Reminder Notice within seven days. This will bring your account up to date. You must also pay your future monthly instalments on time to avoid debt recovery action.

You can pay the arrears using one of the following payment methods:

  • Pay Online: Pay the full amount of the arrears online. You then need to pay your next instalment on or before the due date stated on your original bill.
  • Telephone payment line. Pay the full amount of the arrears via the telephone payment line: 020 8424 1220. You then need to pay your next instalment on or before the due date stated on your original bill.

What will happen if you do not pay the Reminder

You must pay the amount within 7 days of the date shown on the reminder notice. If you don't, you may be sent a summons after a further 7 days. You will lose the right to pay by instalments.

When the summons is issued you will incur a cost of £150. However the council has a duty to protect public funds, and the summons allows more debt recovery options.

If you don't make full summons payment including the extra £150, we will ask the court for a Liability Order. The date of the hearing will be on the summons. Payment must be received on your Business Rate Account, to stop the Liability Order.  You can check this on your MyHarrow Account.

What to do if you cannot pay the Reminder

  • Please check whether you are entitled to receive any Reduction or Relief. This may not prevent a summons being issued but it could reduce the amount you have to pay. This will make it easier for you to manage payments.
  • Please pay as much of the arrears as you can reasonably afford. Paying less than the full amount may not prevent getting a summons. However it will make it easier to agree a payment arrangement after a summons is sent.
  • Please check whether you are paying over a period of 10 months or 12. If over 10 months, you can ask for your payments to be extended to March of each year. This will reduce the monthly payment you need to make. You can do this by selecting 'My query is not listed' on the Business Rates Enquiry form. You will then be sent a new bill telling you the reduced amount to pay.
  • Please check www.businessdebtline.org. It may help you get additional support to deal with matters including any other debts that you may have.