Closing your business or moving premises out of Guildford

You will need to provide us with some details if:

you are moving your business to premises outside Guildford borough
your business is closing

This is so we can close your business rates account and issue you with a final bill.

If you are moving to premises in another council area we cannot inform your new council you have moved. Visit their website to find out how you can report your move and open your business rates account with them. You can find the website of your new council by inputting the postcode of your new premises on the gov.uk website (opens new window).

Register for a MyGuildford account

Telling us that you have moved or are closing is quick and easy. You need to register for a MyGuildford account and sign in to report your move online.

If you do not have a MyGuildford account you can set one up. You should register your MyGuildford account using your Guildford premises address.

Once you have signed into your MyGuildford account, you can click on the 'my account' section. You can start the change of address process and tell us about your new address.

If you have not yet registered to access your business rates account online, there will be more steps. You can then link your online business rates account to your MyGuildford.

To complete this step you will need the following information:

your business rates reference number - found on your latest bill. Do not include the "X" when you enter the reference
the postcode of your Guildford premises, not the postcode of the premises you are moving to

Once you have linked your account, go into the 'account summary' screen. You will see a list of 'quick links' on the right-hand side. You need to select the 'tell us you have moved' quick link on the right-hand side of the page.

What we'll need you to tell us:

the date you moved out of your Guildford premises
the date you sold the premises or the date the tenancy ended
the date your tenancy ended if you are renting, or the date you purchased the property

What happens next

We will contact you if we need further information. We aim to close your account within 10 working days and issue you a final bill in the post

Refunds of overpaid business rates

You may also be due a refund. This is if the amount you paid this year is more than you needed to pay for the time you were occupying the premises. Refunds can only be paid into a bank account.

You will receive your final bill. If there is a credit balance, you can apply for a refund via your MyGuildford account.

From the MyGuildford account page, click the 'business rates' panel. You can then access the business rates account summary screen. You will see a green panel at the top of the screen that will ask you to begin the refund process.

Cancelling your commercial waste service

If you had a commercial waste service at your old premises, call customer services on 01483 505050. We can arrange to stop your collection service.

Closing your MyGuildford account

If you do not wish to use your account you can close it. Log into MyGuildford and click 'my account' on the home page. You will then see a 'close your account' button. If you close your account, you will no longer be able to access it. Your personal information will continue to be held by the council for two years, before it is deleted.