Page updated to reflect the change from Action Fraud to Report Fraud

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) updated its guidance on checking a business rates agent's name on 26 January 2026, so that fraud reports are directed to Report Fraud instead of Action Fraud¹. The page's update log records the change as: "Updated to reflect the change from Action Fraud to Report Fraud"¹. The guidance was first published on 22 July 2025, with "business rates" added to its title and summary the same day, and a Welsh translation added on 24 July 2025¹.

The page tells businesses that if they want an agent to manage their business rates, they need to appoint them in the VOA's Check and Challenge service¹. It says that if the agent's name in that service does not match the name on the contract, the business should be cautious, and should tell the VOA at agentstandards@voa.gov.uk¹. It adds that some rogue agents may change their name often, and that it is possible to find out how long an agent has been using its current business name through the free company information service¹.

The VOA sets out its expectations of agents in its agent standards, covering their behaviour, their professional practice and the service they provide to their customers¹. It says it takes breaches of those standards very seriously and will always take action if it substantiates a breach¹. The page lists warning signs, saying businesses should be cautious of any agent who tries to pressure them to make a decision or sign a contract, says they are acting on behalf of the VOA or forwards emails they claim are from the VOA, demands large sums of money up front, or makes claims about "unclaimed credits" or similar¹.

The page states that a business does not have to use an agent to manage its business rates, and that rateable value can be challenged through the VOA's online service, which it says is free to use¹. It notes that using an agent who is a member of a professional body may provide extra reassurance, as they will be subject to that body's rules and regulations, and that the Institute of Revenues, Rating, Valuation, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Rating Surveyors' Association have published joint standards their members should follow¹. The VOA says it cannot advise on contractual issues with any agent, and directs businesses to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service, which it says has a helpline on 0808 223 1133, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm¹. It also points to reporting a business to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice¹.

Why it matters for households

The change affects the route people use if they believe they have been a victim of fraud connected to a business rates agent. From 26 January 2026, the VOA's guidance points to Report Fraud rather than Action Fraud¹. The rest of the page's content is unchanged in substance: the warning signs, the free Check and Challenge route for challenging a rateable value, and the contact address for reporting concerns about an agent's behaviour all remain as published¹. The guidance is aimed at businesses that use, or are considering using, an agent to manage business rates, rather than at households generally, though the fraud reporting route it names is the one the VOA now directs readers to¹. The page does not state what prompted the change from Action Fraud to Report Fraud, and no further detail on the transition has been reported¹.

What happens next

The page carries no further scheduled updates beyond the 26 January 2026 change¹. Businesses concerned about an agent's behaviour can send evidence to agentstandards@voa.gov.uk, and those who believe they are a victim of fraud can report it to Report Fraud¹. Contractual disputes with an agent are directed to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm¹. More general guidance on scams and fraud is available.