1. Purpose of the Report

The Report is provided as a preliminary assessment to help identify whether a commercial property may warrant further investigation in relation to its business rates liability, Rateable Value or potential entitlement to applicable reliefs.

Our analysis may include, where available:

• Rateable Value and rating-list information;
• changes between rating lists;
• property information;
• valuation per square metre (£/sqm);
• comparison with other properties assessed under the same or relevant VOA valuation scheme;
• comparable-property information;
• statistical or anomaly analysis; and
• preliminary indicators of potential overpayment or opportunities for further investigation.

The Report is intended to assist the recipient in deciding whether further investigation or professional representation may be worthwhile.

2. Preliminary Assessment

Any risk rating, anomaly indicator, estimated saving, comparison or other conclusion contained within the Report represents BRC's preliminary assessment based on the information and data available to us at the time the Report is prepared.

Any potential saving or opportunity identified remains subject to further investigation and, where applicable, the procedures and decisions of the Valuation Office Agency, relevant billing authority or other competent body.

3. Data and Accuracy

BRC may use information obtained from the Valuation Office Agency, local authorities, publicly available sources, third-party data sources and BRC's own databases and analytical systems.

While we take reasonable care when preparing our Reports, underlying property, valuation and comparable data may be incomplete, inaccurate, subsequently amended or subject to differing interpretations.

The Report reflects the information available to BRC at the date of preparation.

4. Intellectual Property

The underlying third-party and publicly available data used within a Report remains subject to any rights applicable to its original source.

However, BRC's proprietary databases, data organisation, analytical processes, methodologies, calculations, anomaly analysis, scoring systems, selection and presentation of comparable evidence, report structure, written commentary and other original material produced by BRC remain the intellectual property of Business Rates Check Ltd or its licensors, as applicable.

Copyright in the original content and presentation of each Report is reserved by Business Rates Check Ltd.

© Business Rates Check Ltd. All rights reserved.

5. Permitted Use

The Report is supplied solely to the person or organisation for whom it has been prepared for the purpose of evaluating the property and considering whether to engage BRC to undertake further business-rates work.

The recipient may use the Report internally for that purpose.

Unless BRC has provided prior written consent, the Report, or any material part of it, must not be:

• reproduced or republished;
• distributed to third parties;
• published online or made publicly available;
• sold, licensed or otherwise commercially exploited;
• incorporated into another commercial report or service;
• provided to another rating agent, surveyor, consultant or professional adviser for the purpose of pursuing the opportunity identified by BRC; or
• used by another person or organisation to prepare or pursue a business-rates challenge, appeal, application or other commercial claim.

Permission may be requested by contacting Business Rates Check Ltd.

6. Comparable Evidence and Proprietary Analysis

Any comparable properties, statistical comparisons, scheme-level analysis, anomaly indicators or other analytical findings included in the Report may represent only a selection or summary of BRC's wider analysis.

Provision of a free Report does not require BRC to disclose its complete comparable-property dataset, analytical methodology, scoring methodology, database contents or other proprietary information.

Where further investigation is warranted and the recipient chooses to engage BRC, additional analysis and evidence may be prepared as part of BRC's professional service.

7. No Obligation to Proceed

Receiving a free Business Rates Check does not require the recipient to appoint BRC or proceed with any business-rates challenge or other service.

Where BRC identifies a potential opportunity, any subsequent engagement will be subject to separate terms of business and the applicable fee arrangement agreed between BRC and the client.

8. No Guarantee of Outcome

Identification of a valuation anomaly, comparable discrepancy, potential relief or other opportunity does not guarantee that a reduction, refund, relief or other saving will ultimately be achieved.

Outcomes may depend on additional evidence, property circumstances, statutory rules and decisions made by the Valuation Office Agency, billing authorities or other relevant bodies.

9. Third-Party Reliance

The Report is prepared solely for its intended recipient.

No third party may rely upon the Report without BRC's prior written consent, and BRC accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party arising from their use of, or reliance upon, the Report.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, BRC shall not be liable for losses arising solely from reliance upon a preliminary Report where no subsequent full investigation or professional engagement has been undertaken.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful.

11. Changes to Information

Business-rates information can change after a Report has been prepared, including as a result of alterations to rating lists, VOA decisions, property changes, legislative changes or information becoming available after the date of analysis.

BRC is not obliged to update a free Report after it has been issued unless separately agreed.

12. Governing Law

These terms and any dispute or claim arising from them shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales and subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.