Business rates relief
There are a number of business rate reliefs (or reductions) available.
Small business rates relief
This relief is available to businesses who occupy:
- one property, or
- one main property and other additional properties that each have a rateable value of less than £2,600
The rateable value of the property mentioned in (a), or the total rateable value of all properties mentioned in (b), must be under £18,000 outside London.
If the single or main property has a rateable value of up to £12,000, the ratepayer will receive a percentage reduction in their rates bill for this property up to a maximum of 50% for a property with a rateable value of not more than £6,000. Following recent legislation between 1 October 2010 to 30 September 2011, the maximum relief is 100%. This has since been extended a further year, 1 October 2011 to 30 September 2012.
If an application for relief is granted, provided your circumstances do not change, you will not need to renew your application until the next revaluation, which happens every five years.
Application form for Small business rates relief is available to download below.
Changes in circumstances
You must notify us if:
- you move into a business premises you did not occupy at the time of making your application for relief - you must make a new application for relief
- there's an increase in the rateable value of your business premises in an area outside of the Wycombe district - you must notify us in writing
Notification must be given to us within four weeks of the day after the day the change happened.
Charitable relief
Charities are entitled to 80 percent mandatory relief if the property is completely occupied for charitable purposes. We have discretion to grant further relief on the remaining bill.
Application form for Charitable relief is available to download below.
Not for profit organisations
We have discretion to grant up to 100 percent relief for properties occupied by not for profit organisations such as community amateur sports clubs and community halls.
Empty business premises
Business rates are not be payable in the first three months that a property is empty. This is extended to six months in the case of certain industrial properties.
After this period, rates are payable in full unless on of the exemptions from empty property rate apply, e.g listed buildings, small properties, owners insolvency, where occupation is prohibited by law etc.
The unoccupied property rate is usually zero for properties owned by charities and community amateur sports clubs.
For the financial year 2010/2011, empty properties with a rateable value of less than £18,000 will be exempt from empty property rates. This threshold is expected to revert back to £2,600 from 1 April 2011.
Empty business premises (partial occupation)
We have the discretion to request that the Valuation Office Agency issue a certificate splitting the rateable value between the occupied and unoccupied parts of a property for a temporary period. This is then used to apply empty relief on the empty part of a property.
Hardship relief
Businesses may be entitled to a reduction in business rates if they are suffering hardship and they can show that the continued trading of the business is in the interests of the local community.
Rural rate relief
These types of properties in rural areas with a population below 3,000 may be entitled to relief. The property has to be occupied and:
- the only general store, post office or food shop and with a rateable value of less than £8,500
- the only pub or petrol station and with a rateable value of less than £12,500
The eligible ratepayer is entitled to relief at 50 percent of the full charge. We have discretion to give further relief on the remaining bill. We can also give relief on certain other occupied property rural areas where the rateable value is less than £16,500.
Help with paying your business rates