Response 3864347

Response to request for information

Reference

3864347

Response date

8 January 2025

Request

Could you please confirm:

1. Whether you offer e-billing for business rates, and if so,
2. The format in which bills are provided – for example:
   
   • Are bills issued as electronic documents sent directly via email?
   • Alternatively, are they available for download from an online portal or account?
   • If bills are accessed through a portal, how are users notified of new or revised demands?
     Additionally, we would be grateful if you could advise:
3. Whether multiple business rates accounts can be linked and managed under a single online portal or user account, and if so,
4. The process for setting this up, including any registration requirements, forms, or authorisation you may need from us.

Response

The Council offers electronic billing (e-billing) for Business Rates.

To sign up for e-billing, ratepayers must first register for online services via the Council’s website (My Services). Once registered, they must select Business Rates from the list of available services and enter their Business Rates reference number, then answer the required security questions. After successfully adding the Business Rates account to their online account, they may choose to receive paperless billing. 

By registering for paperless billing, the ratepayer agrees to receive all future Business Rates bills and adjustment notices electronically and will no longer receive these documents by post. 

When a new bill or adjustment notice is issued, an email notification is sent to the ratepayer’s registered email address. This email contains a hyperlink directing the ratepayer to the Council’s website, where they can sign in to their online account. The new bill or adjustment notice can then be accessed in the Correspondence section and viewed or downloaded as a PDF document.

Where a ratepayer holds multiple Business Rates accounts, all accounts may be added and managed through the same online account. To add additional Business Rates accounts, the ratepayer should log in to their online account, select Add Service, and follow the same process as described above.