# Do I have to pay Rates/Tax on my 3 Acres/stables? HELP!??



## coreteam1 (15 December 2009)

My parents own some land, approx three acres.  On the land are three stables and one small tack room, also a corregated type bard for hay storage.  Does anyone know if we have to pay any type of rates for the land? It can't be used for business purposesRa so I can't see why we would pay Non Domestic rates and we wouldn't pay council tax as there is no living accomodation there.  Is there another sort of rate that has come out?
We have had a visit from the Valuation Office to inspect the land so they can band it for Non Domestic Rates??  ANY ADVICE??


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## Eagle_day (15 December 2009)

Hi J. I think you're going to get caught for non-domestic rates because there is no associated living accommodation. Bad luck.


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## coreteam1 (15 December 2009)

This is where I become confused- lol
I see the property isn't taxable as a domestic property because it's just a field with three stables.  How can we be charged then for non domestic rates, which are business rates when:
1. I keep my own horses on it
2. I pay no livery and am not charged a livery by anyone
3. There is no mains electricity
4. There is no riding arena
5. It clearly states on the deeds that a business can't be run from there
6. I don't let any stables out
7. It has never been used for business purposes


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## Donkeymad (15 December 2009)

As I understand it (and I may well be wrong, so hopefully someone can comment) if you are not running any business, not even a grass livery, then you are not liable for Business rates, and I don't think there is anything between business and domestic.


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## Eagle_day (15 December 2009)

Three stables attached or v close to a house would probably not be seperately assessed. But you have stables that are not attached to a domestic property and so I think you'll be charged non-domestic rates.

There is a stud-farm exemption on the first 2,500 rateable value but I guess that won't apply.

PM me your email address and I'll email you the relevant pages from the VOA website.


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## FRESHMAN (15 December 2009)

Fraid it is true. Like you say you do not have a dwelling at the stables so it can not by law be classed as Domestic. To be domestic you must have a dwelling in the curtilage (sp) of the stables. Otherwise it is NNDR &amp; they are costly. At my new 40 box yard the planners restricted no more than 25 liveries, the remainder must be our own horses. We live on site &amp; have planning permission for a house but I still have to pay Full NNDR for the 15 boxes that house my own horses as well as the other 25. This bloody Country is a sham


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## carthorse (19 December 2009)

I have to pay on my stables which are wooden because I got planning. Next door do not pay even though they have the same ,as they never got permission and down the road they have brick ones and don't pay as , again, they never got permission. Wish I didn't do thing legally as I would save £75 a month then


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## FRESHMAN (20 December 2009)

Yes you are right, it is annoying. BUT its not IF they get caught it's WHEN. I wouldnt want to be worrying &amp; looking over my shoulder all the time. Eventually someone will either report them, or like at the moment with the new 2010 ratings list they will get caught out.


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## foraday (20 December 2009)

Sadly like everyone says you do have to pay tax on your stables and buildings whether a house is there or not!

However, you can keep plugging away and do your research and appeal but do your research well (going back years and decades on the land) You can win but it will take ALOT of patience and paper!

I know a few people who have managed to do this.


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## Penniless (20 December 2009)

It totally depends on your Council.  We pay huge business rates on our property whereas just 2 miles down the road, is a different Council and you can build 100's of stables etc and pay less business rates than we do.

Before we ran a business here, we were still rated on our stables for our own use - Council reckoned the 12 horses we owned at that time between the 2 of us, was more than they would allow as private use, so allowed us free rates on 4 stables and had to pay additional rates (included within the house rates) on the remainder of them.

We tried to shut our business down earlier in the year but on a visit from the valuation officer it was decided to continue paying business rates as it worked out cheaper than having all the stables we now have on site included in non-business rates.  Stupid isn't it.  

We do get rated on the horsewalker but thankfully they allowed us to drop the business rates on the outdoor menege because we said it's only being used for winter turnout and not for riding in (which is the truth now).  

Suggest you get your Valuation Officer back out and get him to explain fully to you.  I must admit, the man who came out to us was very helpful.  So we're now paying usual domestic rates and then the business rates - but at least we can now run the business if and when we want to without doing nothing wrong.


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