Council Tax and business rates recovery procedure policy

The revenues service will:

• provide help and advice to taxpayers and ratepayers in a clear, accurate and understandable way

• maintain contact details to ensure quick and easy contact can be made where the need arises

• ensure bills, reminders and other notices are issued in a timely manner, meeting all legal requirements

• encourage taxpayers and ratepayers or their representatives to make contact as soon as possible where they will have difficulty in making or maintaining their payments

• treat taxpayers and ratepayers as individuals taking account, wherever possible, of known personal circumstances to determine the most appropriate action to be taken

• keep the taxpayer and ratepayer informed of the action being taken and other types of action that may be taken

• provide support for vulnerable taxpayers and ratepayers through home visits as required

• promote and work in partnership with local debt advice agencies to ensure those in financial difficulty get good quality debt advice

• liaise with the council’s benefits service to identify accounts where outstanding benefit issues need resolving

• support businesses who are suffering financial difficulty by giving advice regarding relief, including mandatory and discretionary relief and small business rate relief

• deal with complaints in line with the council’s corporate complaints policywork with others to check the information given to thecouncil by taxpayers and ratepayers and to improve the council’s services. The council may give information to other organisations as the law allows, for example to safeguard against crime