Business rates privacy notice - Privacy notices

Runnymede Borough Council has a statutory duty to administer the collection of Business Rates in accordance with the Non-Domestic Rating (Collection and Enforcement) (Local Lists) Regulations 1989 and the Local Government Finance Acts 1988 and 1992.

In the performance of our tasks, we will collect personal data about individuals and use this information to meet our responsibilities.

We collect the following information to manage and administer valuations, and to manage the billing and collection of business rates.

• Identity data [name of liable party, property address, contact details]
• Financial information [bank details (if you choose to pay by direct debit or to receive a refund), payment history, financial history if you have fallen into arrears]

In addition to the information above we also process the following information for the purpose of checking if exemptions, support grants and rate relief apply

• Property information [Occupancy, lease or freehold interest information] 
• Financial information [Business accounts]

The information above will also be used to prevent and detect fraud and protect council funds.

Your personal information, if not supplied by you, may be collected from a third party such as Estate Agent, Landlord, a previous occupier, the Valuation Office (VOA), Enforcement Agents, rating agent and other Local Authorities.   

Our lawful basis for the above purposes is as follows.

• Public task - we need to collect or use your information to carry out a task laid down in law, which the law intends to be performed by an organisation such as ours.
  • The Non-Domestic Rating (Collection and Enforcement)(Local Lists) Regulations 1989
  • The Local Government Finance Acts 1988 and 1992
  • The Fraud Act 2006.
• All your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure and the right to portability.
• Legal Obligation - we must collect or use the information so we can comply with the law, and we have little to no discretion on how we do that. All your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure, the right to object and the right to data portability.

We have a legal obligation to process information for business rate purposes. Business rate billing, collection and enforcement processes are supported by legislation laid down by the Government. We legally require this information and can impose penalties if information requested is not provided, incomplete or knowingly incorrect. We also collect and use your contact details to communicate with you about your account. This is not a legal requirement and is done with your consent.

Our processors use your data to provide us with services necessary to meet our objectives. We ensure that there are appropriate agreements in place to protect your data and it is only processed under our instruction.

NEC Software

Business rate case management system.

Rundles

Our enforcement agents providing debt recovery services.   

Who do we share data with?
Where necessary, for a purpose compatible with the purposes stated, your information will be shared with the parties set out below

• Public agencies, government departments and other organisations as required to support the collection and recovery of Business Rates, which include the Valuation Office Agency, HM Courts and Tribunal Service, Ombudsman and regulatory authorities
• Cabinet Office (National Fraud Initiative)
• HM Revenue & Customs
• Department for Business and Trade
• Enforcement and tracing agents to recover unpaid Business Rates.
• Other council departments (to ensure your data is accurate and up to date) 

We ensure that all sharing is lawful and appropriately documented. We will not share the information for a reason that is incompatible with the purpose your information was collected, unless there is a legal requirement to do so, an exemption applies, or we have been given consent.

Please see the ‘How we take care of your personal data’ section of our main Privacy Policy 

We will keep all records relating to business rates for as long as you have an ongoing liability with us. Even if you have moved away and do not owe us any money, we will keep details of the property or properties and dates for which you were liable for Business Rates. This is in case there is a change to the rateable value of the property and we need to refund you money or charge you more.

Rights available are directly related to our lawful basis for processing which is set out above. To find out more about your rights please see the ‘Your Rights’ section of our main Privacy Policy.

Submit a FOI request

Submit a subject access request

Report personal data published