Small business rate relief

Small Business Rates Relief is available to occupiers of small businesses whose rateable value is less than £18,000.

Eligible ratepayers will have their bills calculated using the lower small business multiplier. In addition, if the rateable value does not exceed £12,000, the ratepayer may receive a percentage reduction in their rates bill.

Small Business Rate Relief from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2014

• If you are occupying only one property with a rateable value below £6,000 you will pay no rates at all for this period

• Those occupying only one property with a rateable value below £12,000 will benefit from a discount on your bill on a sliding scale (at a rate of 1 per cent relief for every £60 increase in rateable value above £6,000).

• Eligible ratepayers with rateable values below £18,000 will have their bills calculated using the lower small business multiplier.

If you occupy more than one business property, the percentage reduction is only available if the rateable value of each of the other properties is below £2,600 (and the combined value is below £18,000). If this is the case, the rateable values of all the properties will be combined and the reduction is applied to the main property based on the total rateable value. Second properties will receive no additional reduction.

You should notify the Council if you take up occupation of an additional property or there is an increase in the rateable value of a property that you occupy outside this Council’s area.

General information

Empty properties will not qualify for the relief

Transitional arrangements will be calculated first and SBRR will be applied afterwards.

If a ratepayer is in receipt of charity/rural relief then they will receive that relief rather SBRR.

Rateable value increase above the maximum rateable value will disqualify the property for relief for the remainder of the year.