If you don't pay your business rates on time, there are a number of formal and legal stages we go through to request payment.
Your business rates bill shows how much and when you must pay. We will take recovery action if we don’t receive your payment by the due date.
Contact us if you’re having difficulty paying your business rates bill.
We will send you a final notice if we've already sent you a reminder notice in a financial year and you haven’t paid an instalment by the due date.
When we send you a final notice, you lose the right to pay by instalments and you must pay the full amount due for the year within 7 days.
We will send you a court summons if you don’t pay the amount requested in a reminder or final notice.
We will not take any further action if you pay the amount shown on the summons in full before the date of the court hearing.
If you can't pay the full amount before the court date and agree that you should be charged, you don't have to go to court. Contact us to explain your situation, and we'll try to help.
If you think you shouldn't have to pay, contact us and explain why. You must also provide evidence to support your claim.
We will apply for a liability order at the court hearing. This will give us further powers to collect the money you owe, including:
Our liability order hearings take place on a video link. Do not attend Croydon Magistrates Court.
If we pass a liability order to an enforcement agent (also known as a bailiff), you must make all payments and enquiries directly to them.
The enforcement agent can remove and sell your possessions to pay off your debts.
Download our enforcement agent policy (PDF)