Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums win case against Valuation Office Agency

Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM) have won their case against the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and will now only pay nominal business rates for Shipley Art Gallery, Laing Art Gallery, and South Shields Museum. The judgement follows recent wins against the VOA for the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery and the Yorkshire Museum, both of whom have also seen much reduced business rates.

Critically, this latest ruling should change the way that most museums in England and Wales are valued for business rates.

However, it is likely that museums will need to appeal to benefit.

Welcoming the news AIM Director, Lisa Ollerhead said, “This is a great result, not least given the considerable work AIM, Colin Hunter and colleagues at NMDC and MA have put in to encourage the VOA to take a more appropriate approach to evaluating Business Rates for museums.

Whilst it is likely museums will need to appeal their own rates to benefit, the savings, which could also be backdated, are there to be made and in these challenging times such savings are critical.”

To help navigate Business Rates and the appeal process AIM has produced a Guide here>>

As ever, it is advisable to take professional advice before embarking on any appeals not least as the Rateable Value can be increased if it has been under-assessed. If you are interested in finding out more, Colin Hunter of Lambert Smith Hampton has agreed to provide AIM members with a minimum of 15 minutes free consultation. You can contact Colin on 0113 245 9393 or email chunter@lsh.co.uk.