Small business relief

Ratepayers who occupy a property with a rateable value not exceeding £50,999 (and who are not entitled to other mandatory relief, or liable for unoccupied property rates) will have their bills calculated using the lower small business non-domestic rating multiplier, rather than the national non-domestic rating multiplier.

In addition, if you only have a single property and the rateable value does not exceed £15,000, you may apply for small business rate relief.  For a property with a rateable value of not more than £12,000, you will be entitled to a 100% reduction in the rates bill. Properties between £15,000 and £12,000 will receive a percentage reduction in the rates bill on a sliding scale from 0% to 100%.

You may still be able to receive this relief if you have additional properties in the country, but this may only apply, if the other properties each have a rateable value that does not exceed £2,899.

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

Businesses that take on an additional property, which would normally end the entitlement to small business rate relief, will be allowed to keep that relief on the original property for a further period of 12 months.

If you believe you meet the eligibility criteria and have not received the relief, please complete the application form in the downloads section on this page, or contact the business rates team.

If there are no changes to your circumstances, the relief will automatically continue into the new financial year. However, it is your responsibility to advise the council should your circumstances change, and you no longer meet the criteria for this relief.