Analyse Web - Launching Soon

Exciting times are ahead for rating professionals. Inform is delighted to unveil Analyse Web, which will be launching soon! This advanced, cloud-based platform is set to redefine how industry experts access, manage, and leverage rating data, building upon the stellar reputation of Analyse—our flagship rating database and management software that has led the industry for over 20 years.

With Analyse Web, users can expect unparalleled on-the-go accessibility, smooth integration with their existing systems via a standard API, and a marked boost in efficiency across research, proposal preparation, and liability management. Working closely with existing Analyse customers and acting on valuable client feedback, Inform have worked diligently to enhance the utility of the product and ensure it remains at the forefront of the Rating industry as we prepare for the 2026 Rating List and beyond. One of the key advantages of Analyse Web is its weekly updates, ensuring that users have instant access to the latest Integrated List, Authority Schedule data, Live and Historic Summary Valuations and Valuation Tribunal Service data.

Both new and existing clients have reason to be excited about the launch of Analyse Web, with a host of new features set to be introduced, including enhanced search functionality, improvements to the popular List Builder function, as well as deeper data analysis and insights for more than 2 million assessments in the 2023 List, and historic data stretching all the way back to 1990. We are also making improvements to the user experience by introducing user-defined views and additional comparison and analysis tools.

For those involved in rating challenges, appeals and market analysis, Analyse Web is poised to become a truly indispensable tool. By delivering real-time insights and improving data accessibility, Inform is once again leading the charge for innovation within the industry. In addition, Analyse remains the only rating database that integrates with River Lake software, further streamlining workflows for industry professionals handling complex rating portfolios. The River Lake philosophy is to provide quality software, ensuring our products are continually updated and improved to meet the changing demands of the Rating sector. Our detailed knowledge of the commercial property landscape and longstanding collaboration with major UK property owners and agents has enabled us to refine and develop our services for the benefit of our clients, year-on-year.

In recent months our team have been working towards introducing a cohort of new functionality to River Lake, and we’re delighted to announce that River Lake+ will debut in Q4 2025, offering improved features such as built-in CCA functionality, a comprehensive Rates Management Module, and Duty to Notify capabilities—all designed to streamline your preparations for the 2026 Rating List. River Lake+ will be available as both a fully hosted solution and a containerised deployment option, providing you with the flexibility to integrate it within your own infrastructure. Our thoughtfully designed database and application architecture ensures a smooth transition with minimal disruption during the migration process. 

We look forward to sharing more information about the development of both Analyse Web and River Lake+ in the coming months. Meanwhile, feel free to contact us for a closer look at our software products or to schedule a demo tailored to your organisation's needs.
sales@informcpi.com

MPs' report warns 'up to 20,000' pubs could close if business rates not reformed

A report by a group of MPs has warned that up to 20,000 UK pubs could be at risk of closure if the government fails to reform the business rates system.

Ahead of the chancellor's spring statement on Wednesday (23 March), the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG) said the current system was threatening the future of pubs while online businesses pay less tax. Its report found that the average pub pays 3% of its turnover on rates alone, with some paying up to 10%, while online retailer Amazon paid 2% tax on its 2020 turnover of almost £21b.

The group of MPs is calling for the introduction of an online sales tax and a new and specific rates multiplier for pubs, closer to the 1990s level of 32p per pound of rateable value. It is calling for greater transparency and Valuation Office Agency resources to support the current system of valuation for pubs.

See the full article at https://www.thecaterer.com/news/pubs-business-rates-report-mps

Tribunal showdown over estimated 3.5bn pandemic business rates rebates

Businesses facing hefty business rates bills are set for a court showdown over the Government’s decision to strip them of their right to appeal their property taxes in a series of major cases this week. The Valuation Tribunal, an independent judicial body, will hear a series of 26 test cases on May 18 from occupiers of non-domestic properties across the country over changes to the business rates system.

Around 170,000 businesses in England, across all sectors of the economy, sought to argue over the past year that the heavy impact of the pandemic on their operations means that their rateable value, which the property tax is based on, should be reduced. The Government initially allowed more than 55,000 of these businesses to proceed to make a formal challenge with the Valuation Office Agency, an executive agency of HM Customs & Revenue. This would have allowed firms to negotiate “in good faith” on potential reductions, amid an acceptance that working from home and social distancing measures were bona fide grounds to claim a rebate.

Real estate experts have estimated that these rebates could have been worth around £3.5 billion to UK businesses. But as these negotiations were nearing a conclusion in March last year, the Government announced that it would retrospectively legislate to try and stop these reductions.

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak said at the time it “could have led to significant amounts of taxpayer support” for businesses adversely affected, arguing that Covid-19 and the response to it was not an appropriate use of “material change in circumstances” tax rules.

https://www.itv.com/news/2022-05-15/tribunal-showdown-over-estimated-35bn-pandemic-business-rates-rebates

Business rates modernisation 'encouraging' but government needs to go further, firms say

Hospitality business owners have welcomed ministers' plans to update the business rates system, but have warned that newly-announced moves do not go far enough to help firms struggling with soaring costs and high tax burdens.

The Queen's Speech is always a chance for the government to outline key policy plans. An update to business rates was one of the takeaways for restaurants and bars from the 2022 speech, alongside the permanent scrapping of pavement licensing red tape.

It was announced that in the next Parliamentary session ministers are planning to push forward with a bill aimed at modernising the business rates system. The "Non-Domestic Rating Bill" intends to reform the system where business premises' rateable values will be reviewed every three years rather than every five years from 2023.

The government also reportedly hopes these business rates changes will stimulate investment into the decarbonisation of properties.

See the full article at https://www.thecaterer.com/news/business-rates-modernisation-encouraging-but-government-go-further

Unresolved business rates appeals divert £2.5bn away from public services

Over 130,000 business rates appeals from 2010 remain unresolved, according to the LGA. In the past eight years, over a million businesses have challenged their business rates bills, but the latest figures show that 133,060 appeals have yet to be ruled on. Although councils do not set business rates or rule on challenges made by businesses, the result of appeals is that they must set money aside, which diverts funding from delivering the services that local taxpayers pay for and expect. The LGA has said that £2.5bn has been diverted away from stretched local services over the past five years to cover the risk of business rates appeals as they have to fund half of the cost of any backdated refunds.

Ahead of today’s Westminster Hall Debate, the LGA called on the government to take the financial risk from business rates away from local government, arguing that government plans to allow councils to keep more of the business rates they collect makes it “even more imperative” for reform of the system to protect councils from the “growing and costly risk of appeals,” because they may become liable to pay back even more of the cost of any backdated refunds.

Council leaders are also recommending a time limit for appeals, except in exceptional circumstances. Scotland already has a six-month time limit for businesses to appeal their valuation. In addition, the LGA is urging the government to review business rates to modernise the way they affect different ratepayers in order to ensure that sectors such as online businesses make a fair contribution, and to tackle business rates avoidance, which it estimates leads to the loss of £230m each year.

Cllr. John Fuller, vice chair of the LGA’s resources board, said: “Ongoing delays in tackling business rate appeals from 2010 are heaping further financial uncertainty and pressure on our local services at a time when every penny counts to give councils the best chance of protecting services over the next few years. “It is right that a business is able to challenge their valuation if they genuinely believe it to be incorrect.” He called the current system, which sees billions of pounds diverted away from stretched local services, such as adult social care, “completely unfair.” “As we move towards a system where councils will keep more of the business rates they collect locally, communities need to be protected from the shifting of resources to address the risk of business rates appeals.  “With local government in England facing an overall funding gap that will exceed £5 billion by 2020, this money is needed to fund vital services and help plug growing funding gaps,” he concluded.

(Public Sector Executive)

Chancellor suggests 'staircase tax' could be axed

The Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, has suggested that the controversial staircase tax could be axed, admitting it adds business uncertainty. He said, during a Treasury Committe hearing today, that he is "certainly looking at" legislative steps to end the staircase tax. "The Court has made a decision and the Revenue is obliged to comply with the rating law. It is open to Parliament to consider changing the law in a way that changes that outcome." 

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has welcomed the Chancellor's comments. Mike Cherry, national chairman, said "The staircase tax has heaped misery on thousands of small businesses that happen to occupy split workspaces. The Chancellor's words will come as welcome relief to the desperate firms who had absolutely no idea that bill hikes were coming down the line. The Chancellor's decision marks a victory for common sense - he's done the right thing. We look forward to his words becoming action at the Budget, if not before."

(Economia)

New clients Transport for London

Inform is glad to announce that Transport for London have joined us as clients for the Analyse Pro hosted platform.  The hosted platform allows our clients access to the Inform CPI product range without having to access their servers or local PCs. We wish them a long successful ‘Analyse’ career, as all our existing Analyse customers can testify to. Welcome to the team!