Paying business rates
Payment options available for you to pay your business rates bill, what you should do if you can't pay your bill, and what will happen if you don't.
Land & Property Services (LPS) offers a number of payment methods you can use to pay the bill for your business rates. You can select the most convenient payment method that suits you and your business.
This guide outlines the various payment methods that are available for you to pay your business rates bill, including:
- Direct Debit
- paying online with a debit card
- payment by telephone
- internet and telephone banking
- BACS or CHAPs payment
- standing order
- paying at a Post Office or PayPoint outlet
- payment by cheque
This guide also explains what to do if you are having problems and you can't pay your business rates, as well as the consequences if you don't pay your rate bill.
To fully understand your business rates, see business rates: the basics.
Further information
If you have a query regarding your business rates, .
Pay business rates by Direct Debit
How to set up a Direct Debit to pay Land & Property Services your business rates bill.
Direct Debit is easy to set up and helps spread the cost of your business rates bill. There are three Direct Debit collection dates each month. Choose from the 7th, 15th, or 28th of each month as your preferred collection date and funds will be collected on or around your chosen date.
You can also set up your Direct Debit for a single payment and your payment will be taken automatically every year.
Once a Direct Debit has been set up for a rate account, it will continue each year, without further action from you. If you make monthly Direct Debit payments and miss two consecutive months, the facility may be withdrawn and you will have to make alternative payment arrangements.
How to set up a Direct Debit
You can to pay your rates.
Alternatively, you can call Land & Property Services (LPS) with your bank or building society details and they will set the Direct Debit up for you. Contact LPS using the following methods:
- Tel 0300 200 7801 (charged at local rate) and ask to set up a Direct Debit payment
- Tel +44 28 9067 5501 if calling from outside the UK
- Text relay 18001 0300 200 7801
Pay business rates online
How to set up online payment for your business rates bill through Billpay.
You can pay your business rates online through the Land & Property Services (LPS) site. This service allows you to pay your rate bill by debit card.
When making a rates payment, you will need your LPS Account ID and Ratepayer ID - this is found at the top of your rate bill. You will also need to know the amount you need to pay.
While LPS and their payment provider do not impose a payment limit on the online payment site, some card providers do impose a single transaction limit (commonly around 拢2,000). If you experience a problem trying to process a large transaction this may be the cause. To avoid this you could try to process the payment in two smaller transactions.
Debit cards accepted for rates payment
The following debit cards are accepted when paying business rates online:
- Switch
- Visa Electron
- Solo
- Maestro
Please note that LPS is currently unable to accept credit card payments on business rate accounts.
Further information
If you have a query regarding your business rates, .
Pay business rates by telephone
Pay your business rates bill over the telephone using the Land & Property Services automated payment service.
You can pay your business rate bill over the telephone using the Land & Property Services (LPS) automated payment service. This is available 24 hours a day seven days a week. You can make a payment using a debit card. There is no charge for paying by debit card.
Making a rates payment by telephone
To make a business rates payment by telephone you will need the following information which you can find on your rate bill:
- Account ID
- Ratepayer ID
- Amount Due
The number to call is 0300 200 7801. Once connected you select the 'payment' option and follow the instructions to make a payment.
While LPS and their payment provider do not impose a payment limit, some card providers do impose a single transaction limit, commonly around 拢2,000. If you experience a problem trying to process a large transaction this may be the cause. To avoid this you could try to process the payment in two smaller transactions. This will not affect your entitlement to an early payment discount.
Debit cards accepted for rates payment
The following debit cards are accepted:
- Switch
- Visa
- Visa Electron
- Solo
- Maestro
Please note that LPS is currently unable to accept credit card payments on business rate accounts.
Further information
If you have a query regarding your business rates, .
Pay business rates by internet or telephone banking
How you can pay your business rates bill using internet banking or telephone banking.
If your bank or building society offers telephone and/or internet banking, you can pay your business rate bill using either of these payment methods.
You must quote the full 16-digit reference number which is made up of your Account ID and Ratepayer ID and can be found at the top right-hand corner of your rate bill. You must include the zeros at the beginning with no spaces or dashes, for example, 0123456789105568.
Further information
If you have a query regarding your business rates, .
Pay business rates by Bacs or CHAPs
Bank account details if you want to pay your business rates bill through Bacs or CHAPs payment.
BACs payments for rates
To make a Bacs payment ratepayers must provide their Rate Reference number (Account ID or Occupancy ID, followed by Ratepayer ID).
To enable the correct allocation of payment(s), any remittance or Bacs query has to be sent to: commercial.lps@finance-ni.gov.uk.
Bank details
The bank details are:
Danske Bank
Donegall Square West
BELFAST
BT1 6JS
- bank account name: LPS Commercial Rates
- account number: 01063197
- sort code: 95-01-21
If payment is coming from abroad, the LPS IBAN number for non-domestic rate accounts is as follows:
- IBAN Number: GB22DABA95012101063197
- BIC Address: DABAGB2B
CHAPs payments for rates
CHAPs payments can also be used when a payment needs to be made quickly. There is a charge for making payments this way but it usually depends on the bank and the amount of money being transferred. It can be around 拢25 or more.
Further information
If you have a query regarding your business rates, .
Pay business rates by standing order
How to set up a standing order to pay Land & Property Services your business rates bill.
You can get your bank or building society to set up a standing order from your account to pay your business rates. The payment should be made to Land & Property Services (LPS) as follows:
- bank account name: LPS Commercial Rates
- bank account number: 01063197
- sort code: 95-01-21
You must quote the full 16-digit reference number which is made up of your Account ID and Ratepayer ID and can be found at the top right-hand corner of your business rate bill. You must include the zeros at the beginning with no spaces or dashes, for example, 0123456789105568.
You should be aware that a standing order must be renewed each year, unlike a Direct Debit which runs continuously until cancelled.
Further information
If you have a query regarding your business rates, .
Pay business rates at a Post Office or PayPoint outlet
How to pay your business rate bill at a Post Office or PayPoint outlet.
You may find it more convenient to pay your business rate bill in a local Post Office or shop that offers the PayPoint service.
Find a Post Office or PayPoint outlet
As well as the , there are over 450 , including garages, newsagents, and convenience stores where you can pay your rate bill.
You can choose to pay by cheque, cash, or debit card. However, you should be aware that some PayPoint outlets may not accept payment by cheque. You can pay in full, in one single payment or you can pay in instalments. You must allow five working days for any payment to reach Land & Property Services (LPS).
You will need the barcode on your rate bill to make payment. You should bring your rate bill with you so you will know how much you need to pay. Remember to retain your receipt.
Transaction limits
Please be aware that PayPoint imposes a transaction limit of 拢300 per transaction and the Post Office imposes a transaction limit of 拢4,000 (for fraud purposes). If you wish to make a larger payment than the transaction limit, it can be processed in two payments. Alternatively, if you are paying a large amount, you may wish to consider an alternative payment method such as direct debit, standing order, internet banking, or payment online.
Further information
If you have a query regarding your business rates, .
Pay business rates by cheque
How to pay your business rates bill by cheque.
If paying your business rates bill by cheque, you should make your cheque payable to 'Land & Property Services', cross it 'Rate Account', and send it to the address below only:
Land & Property Services
Lanyon Plaza
7 Lanyon Place
Town Parks
Belfast
BT1 3LP
You should clearly print the address of the property for which the business rates are due and your Account ID and Ratepayer ID number on the back of the cheque.
A receipt will not be issued for postal payments.
Further information
If you have a query regarding your business rates, .
What happens if I can't pay my rate bill?
What you should do if you can't pay your business rates bill.
Payment of rates is a legal obligation. If you cannot pay your rates bill you must immediately.
If you owe rates and do not have a payment arrangement in place, contact LPS to discuss the options available that will help legal recovery action. The easiest way to get in touch with LPS is to complete LPS's .
Alternatively, you can contact LPS using the following methods:
- Tel 0300 200 7801 (charged at local rate)
- Tel 0044 28 9067 5501 if calling from outside the UK
- Text relay 18001 0300 200 7801
Help with your rates
There are a variety of reliefs available to 91香蕉黄色视频 business ratepayers. You can find out more about these at help available for business rates.
To understand the consequences if you don't pay your business rates see what happens if I don't pay my rate bill?
What happens if I don't pay my rate bill?
Action that may be taken by Land & Property Services if you fail to pay your business rates.
Land & Property Services (LPS) is responsible for collecting rates in Northern Ireland that are due for payment. Payment of rates is a legal obligation. There are a number of measures available to LPS to recover rates that are unpaid.
If you do not pay your rates or contact LPS to make an arrangement to clear your account, you will be taken to court. This will mean:
- additional costs
- your credit rating could be affected, and as a result, you may not be able to apply for credit or a loan
- you could be made bankrupt
- your home could be repossessed
If you are having problems paying your rate bill, you should contact LPS immediately. See what happens if I can't pay my rate bill?
What happens if I miss an instalment?
If you pay by monthly instalments and miss a payment, LPS will issue a reminder for the amount due. If you pay this within seven days, the instalment payment option remains in place. If you can't pay the arrears within seven days, you should contact , as it may be possible to make different payment arrangements.
If you are not set up for instalments, you will receive a final notice 40 days after the original rate bill was issued.
What happens when I receive a final notice?
When you receive a final notice for payment of your business rate bill, you lose the automatic right to pay by instalments, and you have ten days to pay the full amount outstanding. You can, however, still who may be able to agree to a suitable payment plan.
If you do not pay the whole amount due or do not make a payment agreement with LPS, they will take you to court by issuing a Process in Debt Proceedings and charge you extra costs without issuing any further reminders.
Court proceedings for unpaid rates
If you receive a process to attend court and pay the full amount and any extra costs before the court date, LPS will not take any further action. If you don't pay the full amount and additional costs, the case will go to the Magistrate's Court on the day stated.
Once proceedings have been issued, LPS cannot make an agreement with you. However, if possible, you should continue to make payments to reduce the debt.
Court hearing
You do not have to attend the court hearing unless you wish to dispute the amount or you have a legal matter to bring to the attention of the Magistrate. The court will usually award a decree if you do not attend, and you will receive notification of this after the hearing. To avoid further legal recovery action, after you receive this notification, you should to make arrangements to pay the outstanding amount.
Enforcement of Judgements
If you are a sole trader and if you do not clear the outstanding amount or make an arrangement to pay this, LPS will issue a Notice of Intention to lodge the debt with the Enforcement of Judgments Office (EJO). If you do not pay the outstanding balance with additional costs within ten days, LPS will lodge the debt for enforcement with the EJO.
Lodgement of the debt with the Enforcement of Judgements Office could result in the following:
- your name appearing in Stubb's Gazette, which will affect your credit rating
- additional costs of 拢150 to 拢250 depending on the amount outstanding
- Attachment of Earning Order - where regular payments will be deducted from your salary/wages
- Order Charging Land - the debt will be recovered if your property is sold
- Garnishee Order - which can be served on a bank or building society to make it pay out money from your account to clear the debt
- Seizure Order - which enables the EJO to seize personal property and/or valuables to cover all or part of the debt
Insolvency proceedings
If you are a limited company with debt over 拢750 or an individual with debt over 拢5,000 and you do not clear the outstanding amount or make an arrangement to pay this, LPS can issue a Statutory Demand. If you do not comply with this, LPS will initiate bankruptcy/liquidation proceedings. See managing financial difficulty.
Further information
If you have a query regarding your business rates, .