From 1 April 2017 Small Business Rate Relief is only available to ratepayers who occupy either:
- one property, or
- one main property and other additional properties providing those additional properties each have a rateable value which does not exceed £2,899 (previously £2599.00).
The rateable value of the property mentioned in (a), or the combined rateable value of all properties mentioned in (b), must not exceed £19,999 (previously £17,999) on each day for which relief is being sought. If the rateable value, or combined rateable value, increases above those levels, relief will cease from the day of the increase.
However, businesses that take on an additional property which would normally have meant the loss of small business rate relief will be allowed to keep that relief for a period of 12 months.
Please note relief will only be granted on one property.
The amount of relief available
From 1 April 2017:
- qualifying properties with a rateable value of not more than £12,000 (previously £6000) will be entitled to 100% relief
- qualifying properties with a rateable value of more than £12,000 but less than £15,000 ( previously more than £6,000 but less than £12,000 ) will have relief calculated on a sliding scale, a tapered relief of between 100% and 0%, reducing to nil at £15,000
- qualifying properties with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000 (previously between £12,000 and £18,000) will not have a percentage relief but will have their demand calculated using the small business rate relief multiplier
Certain changes in circumstances will need to be notified to the local authority by a ratepayer who is in receipt of relief (other changes will be picked up by the local authority). The changes which should be notified are:
- the ratepayer taking up occupation of an additional property, and
- an increase in the rateable value of a property occupied by the ratepayer in an area other than the area of the local authority which granted the relief.
Notification of any changes must be given to the local authority within 4 weeks of the day after the change. If this happens, there will be no interruption to the ratepayer’s entitlement to the relief. A notification that the ratepayer has taken up occupation of an additional property must be by way of a fresh application for relief. Notice of an increase in rateable value must be given in writing.
Note: If you qualify for another type of mandatory relief (such as mandatory charitable relief), you will not be able to get small business rate relief and the ordinary non-domestic rating multiplier will be used to calculate your rates.
We will issue the bills with the small business rate relief applied, for those we believe will qualify. If you believe you may qualify and have not received a revised bill or have difficulty with making payments, you should contact the business rates team as soon as possible to discuss the matter. Contact details below.