HMRC Valuation Office, the organisation responsible for setting a Rateable Value for every business property, have warned of activity of so called ‘Rogue Agents’ in the Staffordshire area.

Businesses have a right to challenge the rateable value of their property and to employ specialist agencies to help with the process.

HMRC Valuation Office advise business owners to always check a firm or individual’s background and professional status before signing a contract and to be cautious of any agent who:

• tries to pressure you to make a decision or sign a contract
• says they are acting on behalf of HMRC Valuation Office
• demands large sums of money up front
• makes claims about ‘unclaimed credits’ or similar.

The following help is available from HMRC Valuation Office's website:

• create a business rates valuation account (gov.uk) to manage your business rates yourself
• a checklist to help businesses choose an agent (valuationoffice.blog.gov.uk), if you want an agent to manage your business rates
• HMRC Valuation Office agent standards (gov.uk) set out clear expectations for agents
• guidance on identifying and reporting misrepresentation by agents (gov.uk) and staying safe from scammers (gov.uk)