commercial property lambert smith hampton

Viewpoint - 07/10/2013

Are you taking advantage of available relief on business rates?

Business rate payments place a heavy burden on many organisations. Yet, due to a lack of awareness, available relief is often under-utilised. Below is a brief summary of what’s available.

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Small Business Rate Relief For properties with Rateable Value (RV) <£12,000. 100% relief until April 2014 for properties with RV <£6,000. Sliding scale between £6,000 and £12,000.
Transitional Rate Relief Upward and downward transition for large changes in RV. Smoothing effect for ratepayers. Differs for properties above or below £18,000 RV.
Rural Rate Relief Between 50% and 100% relief for lone small businesses deemed to be providing a service to the community in rural locations.
Deferral Scheme Enables annual inflationary increases to be spread over up to three years.
Charitable Rate Relief 80% relief for registered charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs. May be topped up to 100% at the discretion of the local authority.
Exempted Buildings Includes agricultural land and buildings, fish farms, buildings used for training, disabled welfare and places of religious worship.
Empty Property Rate Relief Three month exemption then full rates due. Additional three months extension for industrial buildings. 18 month exemption for new developments on the rating list before 30 Sept 2016. Also for Listed buildings, buildings with RV<£2,600, empty properties owned by charities, empty Community Amateur Sports Clubs.
Enterprise Zones Local authority criteria. Relief can be 100% up to £275,000 over five years. Must relocate and commence before April 2015.
Hardship Relief Up to 100% relief, at the discretion of the local authority.

In order to maximise the benefits and avoid unintended consequences, ratepayers are advised to take advice before submitting applications for relief.

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This article is part of the autumn 2013 edition of Rating in Brief.

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