What Is Check, Challenge, Appeal?
Check, Challenge, Appeal (CCA) is the government's formal process for disputing a commercial property's rateable value in England. It replaced the old appeal system in 2017 and applies to all business rates challenges under the current rating list.
Your rateable value is set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and directly determines your business rates bill — the higher the rateable value, the higher your bill. If you believe your rateable value is too high, CCA is the legal route to challenge it.
The process has three distinct stages, each with its own rules, timelines, and requirements. You must complete each stage before moving to the next.
The Three Stages
The Check is not a dispute — it is a factual confirmation of your property's details. You submit information about your property to the VOA via their online portal, including floor area, use, facilities, and any features that affect its rental value.
The VOA will review the information and either accept it or propose amendments. Once the Check is agreed and closed, you can move to the Challenge stage.
- Completed online via the VOA's Check, Challenge, Appeal service (business.gov.uk)
- No fee to submit
- You must have a Government Gateway account and claim the property
- The VOA has up to 12 months to respond to a Check
- You can submit evidence with your Check — floor plans, lease documents, etc.
The Challenge is the substantive stage where you argue that your rateable value is incorrect and provide evidence to support a lower assessment. You must submit your grounds for challenge and supporting evidence within 4 months of the Check being closed.
The VOA will review your case and may open negotiations. Most cases are resolved at this stage — either the VOA agrees a reduced assessment, or they confirm the original value. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can proceed to Appeal.
- Must be submitted within 4 months of the Check closing
- You must state your grounds clearly — comparable evidence, physical factors, or other material considerations
- The VOA has 18 months to reach a decision
- Negotiation is common — most cases settle here without going to tribunal
- No fee to submit, but specialist representation is strongly recommended
If the Challenge does not result in a satisfactory outcome, you can lodge a formal Appeal with the Valuation Tribunal for England (VTE) — an independent body that adjudicates on business rates disputes. The VTE will hear evidence from both sides and make a binding decision.
Appeals are relatively rare because most cases are resolved at the Challenge stage. However, the right to appeal is an important safeguard, particularly for larger properties where significant sums are at stake.
- Must be lodged within 4 months of the Challenge decision
- Hearing fee applies — currently £300 for most cases (refunded if you win)
- Hearings are conducted by an independent panel of tribunal members
- Both sides present evidence; the VTE issues a binding written decision
- Further appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) is possible on points of law
Which Stage Are You At?
Use this tool to find out where you are in the process and what your next step should be.
Find Your Next Step
Select the statement that best describes your current situation:
Start with a free assessment
Before spending time on a formal Check, it's worth getting a quick sense of whether your rateable value is likely to be challenged successfully. A specialist can review your assessment against comparable properties in minutes.
Complete your Check thoroughly
The facts you submit at Check stage form the foundation for any later Challenge. Make sure all floor areas, property descriptions, and physical details are accurate. Submit any supporting documents — floor plans, lease documents — at this stage.
Consider appointing a specialist agent now so they can guide the Check in the right direction from the outset. Speak to a specialist →
You have 4 months to submit a Challenge
Once a Check is closed, the clock starts on a strict 4-month window to lodge your Challenge. This is the most important deadline in the process — miss it and you lose the right to challenge for this rating list period.
If you don't already have a specialist, appoint one now. Get connected to a rated surveyor →
Be patient — but stay engaged
The VOA has up to 18 months to decide a Challenge. In practice, many cases involve negotiation during this period. Your specialist (or you, if acting yourself) should be ready to respond to VOA proposals and submit additional evidence if requested.
If you're acting without a specialist, it's not too late to appoint one. Find out more →
You have 4 months to lodge an Appeal
If you're not satisfied with the Challenge outcome, you can take the matter to the Valuation Tribunal for England. You must lodge the Appeal within 4 months of the Challenge decision. A specialist can advise whether the facts of your case justify going to tribunal.
Key Timelines at a Glance
| Stage | Deadline to submit | VOA / Tribunal response time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check | Before the rating list closes | Up to 12 months | Free |
| Challenge | Within 4 months of Check closing | Up to 18 months | Free |
| Appeal | Within 4 months of Challenge decision | Varies (12–24 months) | £300 (refunded if successful) |
What Grounds Can You Challenge On?
A Challenge must be based on one or more recognised grounds. The most common are:
- The rateable value is too high — based on comparable evidence from similar properties in the area
- Physical factors — the property has features that reduce its rental value (poor access, structural issues, noise, restricted use, etc.)
- Change of circumstances — a material change has occurred since the rateable value was set (e.g., a major road closure nearby, a change in use, significant works)
- Incorrect description — the property has been described incorrectly in the rating list (wrong use class, floor area, etc.)
- Exempt property — the property should not be rated at all
The strongest challenges are supported by evidence of comparable assessments — other properties of a similar type, size, and location with lower rateable values. This is where a RICS-regulated rating surveyor adds significant value, as they have access to comparable databases and understand what the VOA will and won't accept.
What Happens if You Win?
A successful challenge can produce savings in two ways. First, your ongoing annual bill will be lower going forward. Second, you may receive a refund for the period since your rateable value took effect — for the 2026 list, that means backdating to 1 April 2026. On a significant reduction, this refund can be substantial.
For example, a rateable value reduced from £80,000 to £60,000 using the standard 48.0p multiplier would save £9,600 per year. If backdated 3 years, the total saving including refund could exceed £28,000.
Do You Need a Specialist?
You can submit a Check, Challenge, or Appeal yourself — the VOA's online portal is designed for self-service, and there is no legal requirement to use a professional. However, most businesses choose to appoint a specialist for the Challenge and Appeal stages for several reasons:
- Rating surveyors have access to comparable evidence that is not publicly available
- The VOA responds differently to professionally prepared submissions
- Mistakes at Challenge stage — particularly around grounds and evidence — can be difficult to correct
- Most specialists work on a no-win, no-fee basis, so there is no upfront cost
- A specialist handles all communications with the VOA and the Tribunal on your behalf
We connect businesses with RICS-regulated rating surveyors who operate on a no-win, no-fee basis. There's no upfront cost and no obligation after the initial assessment.
Check, Challenge, Appeal vs. the Old Appeal System
Before 2017, ratepayers could lodge a direct appeal against their rateable value without any prior stages. The CCA system replaced this with a more structured process designed to resolve disputes earlier and reduce the backlog at the Valuation Tribunal.
Critics argue the CCA system makes it harder and slower to challenge assessments, particularly the requirement to complete a Check before a Challenge can be submitted. In practice, this means the process takes longer but the majority of cases that are worth pursuing are still resolved — most at the Challenge stage without going to tribunal.
Scotland and Wales
The Check, Challenge, Appeal process described on this page applies to England only. Scotland and Wales have their own systems for challenging business rates assessments, administered by Assessors (Scotland) and the Valuation Tribunal for Wales respectively. If your property is in Scotland or Wales, the process differs significantly.