Case study:

Vehicle Maintenance Specialist | North East

KEY
FACTS

ONE MONTH 
ACHIEVED IN

£13,000 
SAVINGS

Workshop
PROPERTY TYPE

The Client

Located in Newcastle-under-Lyme, our client runs a garage specialising in tyre fitting and vehicle maintenance services.

Their business relies on a well-located workshop to serve customers efficiently. Given the costs associated with commercial properties, securing the right business rates relief was crucial for managing expenses.

The Problem

The client’s property had been assigned an excessively high Rateable Value (RV) by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), making them ineligible for Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR).

Without this relief, they were paying full business rates unnecessarily. A reassessment was needed to bring the RV below the threshold and achieve potential savings.

The Solution

Following an in-depth inspection by RVA Surveyors, our surveyor successfully reduced the 2017 RV from £19,250 to £13,500 and the 2023 RV from £21,750 to £12,750, making the client eligible for SBRR in both rating periods.

Once the reductions were secured, our audit team submitted an application to the VOA, who reviewed the case and backdated the relief to 2017, ensuring maximum savings for the client.

The Outcome

With SBRR awarded for multiple rating periods, the client has now saved over £13,000 in business rates.

More importantly, they no longer need to pay business rates moving forward, allowing them to reinvest these funds into their garage, improving services and operations.

Savings achieved: £13,000 

Surveyor comment

“By securing two significant reductions, we ensured the client wasn’t overpaying for years. The backdated relief was a huge win, proving the importance of persistence in business rates assessments.”