Reductions and reliefs

With effect from 1 April 2017, ratepayers who occupy a property with a rateable value which does not exceed £50,999 (and who are not entitled to other mandatory relief or are liable for unoccupied property rates) will have their bill calculated using the lower small business non-domestic rating multiplier, rather than the national non-domestic rating multiplier.

These businesses can benefit from:

• a percentage of relief from their business rates
• a lower multiplier when we calculate their rates

The government announced that from 1 April 2017:

• if your property has a rateable value of £12,000 or less, you will get 100% relief (doubled permanently from the previous rate of 50%)
• if your property has a rateable value between £12,001 and £15,000, you will get a tapered percentage of relief (PDF)
• if your property has a rateable value under £51,000, your business rates will be calculated using the small business multiplier (threshold increased from £18,000 in 2016-17)

What counts as a small business?

This relief only applies to small businesses. This means ratepayers who occupy either:

• (a) one property only or
• (b) one main property, and other additional properties which each have a rateable value that does not exceed £2,899

The aggregate rateable value of all the properties mentioned in (b) must not exceed £19,999 outside London or £27,999 in London on each day for which relief is sought. If the rateable value, or aggregate rateable value, increases above those levels, relief will cease from the day of the increase.

You can only get SBRR on your main property. You still have to pay business rates on any additional properties with a rateable value less than £2,900, and cannot receive any SBRR on them.

You cannot get SBRR if any of your additional properties are valued at £2,900 or more. If you’re already getting SBRR and you take on an additional property valued at £2,900 or more, you will be allowed to keep your SBRR on your existing main property for a further 12 months, provided the total rateable value of all your properties is less than £20,000. This extension of SBRR applies to businesses taking on additional property on or after 14 February 2014 only.

Changes in circumstances

Changes in circumstances will need to be notified to Central Bedfordshire Council by a ratepayer who is in receipt of relief (other changes will be picked up by Central Bedfordshire Council). The changes which should be notified are:

• the ratepayer taking up occupation of an additional property
• an increase in the rateable value of a property occupied by the ratepayer in an area other than Central Bedfordshire

How to apply