Business rates relief

You may qualify for a discount on your business rates under certain circumstances, some examples are:

• the property is unoccupied
• the property is wholly or mainly used for charitable purposes
• the property is the sole qualifying business supplying a rural area ie: post office

We also have discretion to give relief on all, or part of, any rate bill for properties occupied by certain non-profit making bodies. We can also consider giving relief in cases of hardship or where part of a property is beyond use for a certain period.

To apply for business rates relief

Contact us for more information on how to apply.

See detailed information about business rates relief on GOV.UK.

Retail discount, retail hospitality and leisure relief

The Chancellor confirmed that eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties would receive 100% business rates relief from 1 April 2021 to 30 June 2021, 66% business rates relief from 1 July 2021 to 31 March 2022, 50% business rates relief from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 and 75% business rates relief from 1 April 2023.

You could qualify for a reduction if your business is a:

• shop
• restaurant, café, bar or pub
• cinema or music venue
• hospitality or leisure business - for example, a gym, a spa, a casino or a hotel

If your business is eligible, you would qualify for:

• 100% off your business rates bills for the 2020/21 tax year (1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021)
• 100% off your business rates bills for the first 3 months of the 2021/22 tax year (1 April 2021 to 30 June 2021)
• 66% off your business rates bills for the rest of the 2021/22 tax year (1 July 2021 to 31 March 2022) up to a total value of £2 million
• 50% off your business rates bill for 2022/23 tax year (1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023) up to a total value of £110,000 per business (not per property)
• 75% off your business rates bill for 2023/24 and 2024/25 tax years (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025) up to a total value of £110,000 per business (not per property)

You can get these discounts and reliefs on top of any other business rates relief you’re eligible for.

Retail hospitality and leisure relief for businesses with more than one premises

To claim the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief you must not have exceeded either the £110,000 cash cap for 2024/25 or the Small Amounts of Financial Assistance limit of £315,000 over 3 years (including 2024/25).

If the following applies to you, please complete form A (accepting the relief and declaring that you comply with the cash cap and exemption threshold) and return it the business rates team:

• you (or if appropriate a company in your Group) have received the 2024/25 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme support on any other property but to a level below the £110,000 cash cap. You should list the other Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief being granted for premises other than the one to which this bill relates, and
• you (or if appropriate a company in your Group) have not received more than the Small Amounts of Financial Assistance limit of £315,000 over three years (including 2024/25). If appropriate you should list the other subsidies you have received on the form

If the following applies to you, complete Form B (refusing the relief) and return to the business rates team:

• you have exceeded the £110,000 cash cap on other properties or
• you have received more than the Small Amounts of Financial Assistance limit of £315,000 over 3 years (including 2024/25)

If you have exceeded the cash cap on other premises and wish to refuse to receive the retail hospitality and leisure relief granted on your bill, you must complete Form B and return it to the  office shown on your business rates bill, via email or post. You do not need to complete declaration Form A.

You do not need to complete either form if you have not received Retail Hospitality and Leisure Relief for more than one premises or don’t exceed the cash cap limits.

Improvement relief

Improvement relief was introduced in England and Wales from 1 April 2024. If you make certain improvements to your business premises, you may qualify for improvement relief. The relief gives a temporary reduction to your business rates bill.

We work together with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to implement the relief. The VOA will automatically assess any qualifying works and, if eligible, they will issue you with a certificate of qualifying works. They will pass this information on to us. We also receive details of the certificated qualifying works and assess occupation of the premises. To qualify, the certificated premises must have been occupied throughout the period of improvement works. If eligible, improvement relief will then be applied to the business rates bill.

Improvement relief can apply for up to 12 months from the date when the improvement works were completed. Improvement relief may end before the 12 month period has lapsed where the premises becomes empty or where there has been a change of ratepayer.

You can find out more about improvement relief on GOV.UK.

Who to contact

Contact the VOA with any questions about the certificate of qualifying works.

Contact us with any questions about occupation conditions or about your business rates bill.

If you think your certificate of qualifying works is wrong

There is no right of appeal against the certified values shown on your certificate, however, if you think there is something wrong with your qualifying works certificate, please contact the VOA using the email address shown on your certificate or you can use the VOA contact form on GOV.UK.

Opt out of relief

You can choose to opt out of reliefs in 2024/25 by writing to us. If you opt out of relief, you are unable to opt back in later.