An important event today aims to shed more light on business rates which are likely to change next year after revaluation.

Experts will be on hand at the Ramada Hotel and Resort, Hollingbourne, to answer questions and clear up any confusion about the tax.

They are taking part in a Business Advice Day, which started at 9am, and features seminars from representatives of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), HM Revenue and Customs, the Federation of Small Businesses and Locate in Kent are taking part.

The VOA is responsible for assessing the rateable value of all business and non-domestic property in England and Wales.

Maidstone council, along with all other local authorities across the country, uses the VOA’s rateable values to calculate the amount of business rates each business contributes.

"We know that some business people find the subject of business rates confusing," says Sofie Schon, customer service manager for the VOA’s South East Group.

"We’re keen to provide easy to understand, accessible information to help ratepayers make sense of what the amount they’re paying is based on. One of the ways we’re doing this is by attending local business events."

The VOA is in the process of updating all rateable values to ensure that the basis for taxation reflects changes in the property market.

"This current revaluation comes into effect in 2010 but it takes place every five years," says Ms Schon. "We want ratepayers to understand what it means for them. Its not about raising more business rates overall, its about maintaining fairness in the system."

She added: "We’ve also updated our web pages to provide 24-hour responses to commonly asked questions.

"There’s a lot of speculation and misinformation that circulates about business rates and the revaluation and we think it's important that businesses can access the facts."