Please only use the DBF's official returns forms for remitting fees.
PLEASE NOTE: Statutory fees rates usually change on an annual basis and forms should only be used to remit fees for the occasional services held in the year detailed on the form. Please do not use out of date forms.
2024 Diocesan Fees Form
The 2024 Diocesan Fees Form for use when remitting fees for occasional services held on or after 1 January 2024 is now available to download. Please do not use old versions of the forms for remitting fees for services held from this date onwards, as the statutory fees rates will be incorrect. Please complete the form electronically. Upon detailing the number of services, the form will automatically complete the amounts due in respect of both serving and retired clergy fees onto the front summary sheet, giving the actual net amount payable to the DBF after any reduction due in respect of the DBF’s voluntary grants currently being awarded to PCC’s when administering the fees for crematorium only funeral services. Fees payments and forms should be remitted to the DBF on a monthly basis via the PCC. ‘Nil’ returns should be sent if there are no fees received during the month. To help us, we would be grateful if you could please name the completed forms with the parish number, parish name, month and year numbers, e.g. 1234 Test Parish 0124.
Please then email the completed form in PDF format to fees@chester.anglican.org
If you have any queries regarding fees matters or need guidance on how to use the form, please contact Maxine Southwick directly on 01928 643440 or by email at maxine.southwick@chester.anglican.org
Fees Form 2024 (right click and click 'Save link as...") Please read the paragraph below for details.
To use the form above, please initially save it to you computer. Then open the file using Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is free to download. Do not fill in the form using your internet browser as it will not work properly.
The 2023 monthly Fees forms are still available to download below. Please ensure you use the correct form, based on the period the services were held, for which you are remitting the DBF's statutory fees due.
For any parishes who discover they have any outstanding fees that have been missed and are owing for previous years, please contact Maxine Southwick for copies of the relevant forms.
2023 Fees Form - To remit fees for services held on or after 1 March 2023
PLEASE NOTE: The above form should be used to remit fees for services held on or after 1 March 2023. Fees for January and February 2023 should be sent using the 2023 form below. This is because the statutory fees due to the DBF were those that were in place at the time the occasional service was held.
2023 Fees form - Download* - For use to remit January and February 2023 fees only.
To use one of the forms above, please initially save it to you computer and close it down, before reopening the form saved to your computer using Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is free to download. Do not fill in the form using your internet browser as it will not work properly. Please also refer to the video and further details below.
Fees payments and forms should be remitted to the DBF on a monthly basis by the PCC. Please email completed forms to fees@chester.anglican.org
Fees can be collected by monthly direct debit (forms must be remitted by the 10th of the following month for which you are completing your form at the latest, and will be collected on or around the 20th of the month), sent by electronic bank transfer or paid by cheque.
'Nil' returns forms should be submitted when there are no fees received during the month and again should be sent in by email.
If you have any queries regarding fees matters or need guidance on how to use the form, please contact Maxine Southwick on01928 643440 or by email at maxine.southwick@chester.anglican.org
Using the new Fees Form
Fees in respect of occasional services undertaken by serving licenced Clergy & Readers (form 1) and Retired/Clergy holding the Bishop's PTO (forms 2a to 2d) are contained within one usable pdf document. The document can be downloaded using the links above. When inserting the number of services held onto the relevant fees forms, the pages automatically complete the amounts due in respect of these. The form will also reduce the amount due, giving a net amount, after also taking into account the DBF’s voluntary grants currently being awarded to PCC’s when administering the fees for crematorium only funeral services. The totals from each page then transfer onto the front summary sheet, showing the actual amount payable to the DBF for the month.
The statuory fees due to the DBF are those for the period when service is held. Please ensure you use the correct form - do not use old versions of the forms as the fees rates will be incorrect. For audit purposes the DBF need one copy of the fees returns document completing every month. ‘Nil’ returns should be sent if there are no fees received during the month. Completed forms should be emailed to fees@chester.anglican.org
If you have any questions regarding fees or the fees forms? Please contact Maxine Southwick directly by email at maxine.southwick@chester.anglican.org or by telephone on 01928 643440