Statutory Framework & Free Alternative Disclosure
In strict compliance with UK consumer protection, advertising standards, and Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) directives, CouncilCredit publishes this comprehensive statutory framework.
Under Regulation 9(4)(a) of Statutory Instrument 1989/1058, commercial ratepayers may apply directly to their billing authority for overpayment refunds free of charge. You are under no statutory obligation to instruct a third-party agent or pay an administrative fee to claim funds held by your local authority.
Any commercial ratepayer or authorized director may contact their local council's revenues department directly, present their business rates account reference number, and request a direct repayment without paying any administrative fee, engaging a third-party representative, or forfeiting a contingency percentage.
1. Governing Legislation for Rating Overpayments
Non-domestic rating (business rates) collection and refunds in England and Wales are governed by The Non-Domestic Rating (Collection and Enforcement) (Local Lists) Regulations 1989 (Statutory Instrument 1989 No. 1058), made under powers conferred by the Local Government Finance Act 1988.
Under this statutory requirement, a billing authority has no legal right to withhold funds or apply administrative forfeiture where a ratepayer has formally required repayment.
2. Origin of Public Ledger Data
All credit balances, ratepayer names, and hereditament details published on CouncilCredit are extracted from official datasets released by billing authorities pursuant to their publication schemes under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). We systematically verify and deduplicate these files to maintain high data integrity.
3. Sovereign Entity & Clearinghouse Structure
CouncilCredit is an independent commercial rating desk operated by Verified Entitlements Commercial Division, a specialized division of Verified Entitlements Group. We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office under registration number ZC136598. We are not a local authority or government agency.
4. Fee Transparency
CouncilCredit offers two clear options to commercial ratepayers:
- Turnkey Requisition Pack: A fixed fee of £149 inclusive of all templates, council contacts, and statutory schedules. No subsequent contingency or hidden charges.
- Contingency Recovery Mandate: £0 upfront expenditure. A 20% success fee is deducted strictly when funds are disbursed by the council. If the council fails to disburse, zero fee is charged.