Privacy and business rates (non-domestic rates) including Business Grant Schemes

This privacy notice explains how the Revenues and Benefits team at Buckinghamshire Council (the data controller) will use the personal information we collect about you when you use this service.

We can hold the following information:

• your name and the name of any company liable for business rates
• contact details, including telephone number and email address
• your or your companies bank details
• status of occupation, owner or tenant or landlord
• appointed administrator.

If you make an application for a discount or business grant, we may hold the following additional information:

• the nature of your business
• the number of employees
• date the company was established and commenced trading
• charitable status
• company financial information
• companies house registration
• VAT registration
• evidence of identity
• evidence of personal or business bank account

We need your information to:

• ensure our database is accurate for the administration and collection of business rates in line with current legislation
• consider and correctly award discounts, disregards, exemptions or grants where the criteria have been met
• correctly ascertain the liable party in respect of business rates and ensure correct billing
• administer your business rates and contact you if required
• organise direct debits, should you opt to pay by this method
• verify identity and bank details for grant recipients including personal identity and bank details for sole traders or businesses operated through personal accounts
• administer the BID Levy on behalf of Business Improvement Districts from those who are liable

The legal basis for processing the data under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 is Article 6(1)(e). We need it to perform a public task.

We use your information because we need it to provide you with a service as a local authority under the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

We will share your information, if appropriate, with:

• central government departments such as, but not restricted to Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• contractors and organisations we commission to provide services including Enforcement Agents
• HM Revenues and Customs
• a nominated third party or personal representative, following authority from you to do so
• other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds and in relation to safeguarding purposes or in connection with the prevention of crime, criminal or legal investigations or proceedings including fraud (and the National Fraud Initiative) or regulatory functions
• law enforcement agencies, such as the police
• regulatory bodies, investigators and ombudsman for example Local Government Ombudsman
• courts and tribunals
• legal representatives
• fraud prevention agencies
• debt collection agencies
• Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)
• other relevant services within the council

We will securely hold your information and only keep it for as long as is necessary. Information is retained until it is no longer relevant, for example information may be kept in order to review customer’s entitlement to a discount or exemption. We retain data for business ratepayers dating back to 1993 for the purpose of successful challenges to liability and property valuation. At the end of this period your records will be confidentially disposed of.

We will not disclose your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We are required to publish limited data in relation to company details and property valuations, discounts and liability dates, which will not include any personal data.

We do not carry out any automated decision making in relation to this information.

You have legal rights over your information. For details of those rights, see our corporate Privacy Policy. Your rights will differ depending on our lawful basis for processing your data.

Contact our Data Protection Officer:

Buckinghamshire Council
The Gateway
Gatehouse Road
Aylesbury
HP19 8FF

Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01296 395 000.

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to the Data Protection Officer. You can also then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) if you remain unhappy with how we have used your data.