Manage your business rates online

What is changing? 

Residents and businesses can now carry out even more council transactions online at a time which suits them. We’re making it quicker and easier for residents and businesses who need to carry out one or more of the following transactions, through our new online service:

• View your latest council tax and business rates bills online, so you won’t need to receive paper bills in future.
• Apply to pay council tax or business rates by Direct Debit, if you don’t already.
• Pay your council tax or business rates.
• Apply for discounts or relief on your council tax or business rates, with a much shorter application process.
• Let us know about changes to your circumstances which might affect your claims or payments, for example, if you’ve recently moved house or business premises. You’ll also be able to easily upload any documents, saving time.  
• Apply for Housing Benefit and council tax reductions more quickly.
• Let us know about changes to your circumstances which might affect your claims for benefits, for example, if your household income has recently changed.
• Check the amount of your next Housing Benefit payment, as well as when you’ll receive it.

How will the online service improve things for residents and businesses?

Dealing with us through this online service will improve things for residents claiming benefits by:

• Making it quicker and easier for them to apply for benefits and update or amend any claims, giving them more flexibility around how and when they manage their benefits, including when they need to let us know about a change in their circumstances. 
• Giving them more flexibility, enabling them to manage their benefits online, including on smartphones, at a time which suits them, 24/7.
• Dealing with us through this online service will improve things for businesses and residents when managing their payments by:
• Making it quicker and easier to make business rates and council tax payments or apply for discounts and reliefs. 
• Enabling residents and businesses who don’t already, to apply online to make payments by Direct Debit.
• Giving them more flexibility around how and when they manage their payments or update or amend any claims or changes in their circumstances, enabling them to do it online, including on smartphones, at a time which suits them, 24/7. This means they won’t need to call or visit us during office hours and wait to speak to an officer.

What other improvements will the online service offer?

As well as the improvements mentioned above, we can assess new benefits applications, pay benefits, change circumstances and respond to queries more efficiently, meaning we will have more time to support our residents.

When will it be available?

The online service for benefits and council tax and business rates is now available and ready to use.

How are you letting residents and businesses know this is available? How will they know how to use it?

We’ve written to affected residents and businesses in early January to let them know and we are also informing residents and businesses by using a range of our communication channels, such as:

• Council website at www.tandridge.gov.uk/onlineaccount. 
• Social media – Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor.
• E-newsletters – sign up at www.tandridge.gov.uk/signup.
• Leaflets sent to affected residents and businesses.
• Articles in our Tandridge magazine, which is delivered to every household and business in the district twice a year.
• Information in local newspapers and magazines.
• Posters placed on noticeboards at the Council Offices, council housing properties, libraries and Citizens Advice offices.

How do I sign up?

It’s easy to sign up and start managing your benefits, council tax or business rates online. Follow the simple steps to sign up and start using the online service today.

You'll need your council tax billing number to sign up to manage your council tax online. 

Who do I contact if I have problems or questions?

Please contact our team if you have issues with the new online service, by e-mailing benefits@tandridge.gov.uk for benefits queries, ctax@tandridge.gov.uk for council tax queries and businessrates@tandridge.gov.uk for business rates queries. 

What if I don’t have internet access or access to a smartphone?

Residents and businesses who don’t have internet access and therefore won’t be able to access these online features can still use our automated telephone payment line on 03300 884684 or talk to one of our officers as they do now.

Will this be secure? Will my information be safe?

Yes, it’s incredibly secure. The security of resident and business data is vitally important and all resident and business data will be safely and securely stored, only accessible through secure login details. For more information about data protections, visit www.tandridge.gov.uk/data. 

Can someone else manage my benefits or council tax and business rates online on my behalf?

Yes, that’s absolutely fine. If you’re happy for someone to manage this for you, they’ll need to sign up for an online account for either Benefits online or Council tax and business rates online (they'll need your council tax billing number), depending on which service you need to use.  

I already pay my council tax and business rates by Direct Debit. Do I need to sign up to this online service?

You don’t have to sign up, although you might find it useful for viewing your council tax or business rates bills online and you can use it to let us know about any changes in your circumstances or to apply for any payment discounts or reliefs. 

However, if you don’t use this new online service and you currently pay by Direct Debit, we will continue to take your payment each month.

How do I pay my council bills by Direct Debit?

Direct Debit is still the cheapest and easiest way to pay council tax, business rates or housing rent.

To set this up, please download the forms by visiting www.tandridge.gov.uk/pay.