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Business rates and BID levy

Privacy notice

This privacy notice explains how we process your personal data when you interact with us and information about your rights under data protection legislation.

We reserve the right to update this privacy notice. Changes apply as soon as they are published. We recommend that you visit this page regularly to find out about any updates that may have been made.

Page updated: 15 August 2025

Contact us

We are Maidstone Borough Council of Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6JQ. We are the “data controller”. This means that we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use your personal data.

You can find us in the Information Commissioner’s register of organisations who have paid the data controller fee. Our reference number is Z4752882.

If you have any questions about this privacy notice or if you would like to exercise your rights, please contact the Data Protection Officer:

Maidstone Borough Council
Maidstone
Kent
ME15 6JQ

Phone: 01622 602 000
Email: dataprotectionofficer@maidstone.gov.uk

Your rights

You have rights under data protection legislation. Full details of these rights can be found on our data protection page.

We normally have to comply when you tell us that you want to exercise your rights. There are some legal exemptions. These will be explained if an exemption applies to your request.

There is no charge for you to exercise your rights. We may refuse your request or make a reasonable charge if your request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

Before we deal with your request, we may ask you for proof of your identity. After receiving your proof, we will process your request as soon as possible. We will respond within one calendar month in most cases.

How to complain

If you are not happy with how we are processing your personal data, you can complain to us using the contact details above. If you are still unhappy after contacting us, you can contact the relevant competent supervisory authority - the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). You can contact the ICO:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113
Visit the ICO website

Your obligations

It is important that you tell us if your personal data changes while you are using our services. This will mean that the data we hold about you is kept up to date and accurate.

Our services - collection of Business Rate and Business Improvement District (BID) Levy

Types of personal information we collect

We process the following types of personal data:

  • name
  • address
  • forwarding address
  • phone number
  • email address
  • periods of liability
  • financial information
  • bank name, Sort code, Account name and number
  • landlord and agent details (where applicable)
  • probate details
  • trading details
  • court proceedings

Why we have your personal data and how we get it

We use your personal data to:

  • collection and recovery of business rates and BID levy
  • provide you with the above services and supporting investigations
  • initiate court proceedings arising where necessary
  • retain a record so we can audit, and quality assure our services, and to inform decision-making about our services
  • plan and manage our services and to meet the requirements of external regulators
  • to keep visitors and staff safe and secure, we use CCTV at our premises, which records images. Additionally, officers may wear body-worn cameras at our premises, which record images.

We also use cookies and other analytic technologies to give you a better experience on our website and to improve the relevance of online advertising you see. For more information, please see our cookie notice.

We may also use your personal information to contact you regarding user satisfaction surveys and to stay in touch.

Keeping your personal data

  • personal data supplied via online forms, physical forms, correspondence, and e-mail will be kept for seven (7) years from the date received
  • personal data arising from evidence and or investigations will be kept for six (6) years from the end of the end of year that the record was created
  • CCTV footage will be kept for 30 days

This is to meet our customer service, accounting, and auditing requirements.

Our lawful basis

Our lawful basis to process your personal data is both a legal obligation and in the public interest.

Dependent on the investigation, our lawful basis is in accordance with the following legislation:

  • Local Government Finance Act 1988 as amended
  • Non-Domestic Rates Regulations
  • Non-Domestic Rates Act 2023
  • Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014
  • Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended
  • Council Tax Administration and Enforcement Regulations 1992
  • The Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004

Our lawful basis to capture CCTV images of members of the public is public interest.

Sharing your personal data

Your personal data will only be shared with other organisations when necessary and it will always be shared securely. We will only share your personal data if the law lets us and we always aim to share as little data as necessary.

We share your personal data with:

  • Valuation Office Agency (VOA)
  • other local authorities
  • One Maidstone
  • Kent Intelligence Network (KIN)
  • Destin Solutions
  • Central government
  • Locta
  • enforcement officers
  • police
  • landlords
  • other Maidstone Borough Council departments
  • Fraud and Compliance Investigators

The Council reserves the right to share personal data with other agencies and organisations for the purposes of prevention or detection of fraud.

Our lawful basis to process your personal data is both a legal obligation and a task in the public interest. This includes the National Fraud Initiative Exercises and referrals to fraud and compliance for investigation. Dependent on the investigation, our lawful basis is in accordance with the following legislation:

  • Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended
  • Council Tax Administration and Enforcement Regulations 1992
  • Local Government Finance Act 1988 as amended
  • Non-Domestic Rates Regulations
  • Non-Domestic Rates Act 2023
  • Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014

When necessary, the Council will share personal data with anti-fraud and law enforcement agencies for the prevention and detection of crime, and it will always be shared securely. We will only share your personal data if the law lets us, and we always aim to share the minimal data as is necessary. We share your personal data with:

  • Kent Intelligence Network
  • other local authorities
  • Central Government, including Cabinet Office and Department of Work and Pensions
  • Law enforcement agencies, including the police
  • National Anti-Fraud Network – NAFN
  • Action Fraud
  • HM Courts (where a case progresses to the courts)

We will share personal data with our parent department(s) in the central government in line with statutory functions.

As part of interagency initiatives and the Maidstone Task Force, we may share personal data with our partner organisations. This may include:

  • Kent Police
  • Kent County Council
  • One Maidstone
  • housing associations
  • voluntary organisations

We will only share your data when it is necessary and lawful for us to do so.

Storing your personal data

We store your personal data in the UK. We do not transfer your personal data to any other countries, including countries in the EU and EEA (European Economic Area).

Third parties may transfer your personal data outside the UK. Please refer to their privacy notices for more details.