How to reduce your Business Rates bill

Small business rates relief

Small business rates relief with effect from 1 April 2017

With effect from 1 April 2017 small businesses with a rateable value of less than £15,000 may qualify for a reduction from their full rate bill.

For example:

Businesses with a rateable value of less than £12,000 will receive 100% relief subject to meeting the qualifying criteria

Businesses with a rateable value of between £12,000 and £15,000 will receive relief on a sliding scale between 100% and 0% subject to meeting the qualifying criteria

There is no relief for businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or more but all occupied properties with a rateable of up to £51,000 who do not benefit from any other mandatory relief will have their bills calculated using the lower multiplier up to 31 March 2024.

With effect from 1 April 2024 all properties with a rateable value up to £51,000 will have their bills calculated using the lower multiplier.

To qualify for the relief, ratepayers must satisfy the following conditions:

  • the sole or main property they occupy must have a rateable value of less than £15,000 and
  • if they occupy any other properties, each of the other properties must have a rateable value of less than £2,900. The total rateable value of all properties must be less than £20,000. We will apply relief to the property with the highest rateable value.

If you are receiving small business rate relief and take on another property which would usually disqualify you from receiving relief, you will continue to receive the existing relief for 12 months.