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This is a relief scheme paid for by the Government and applies to significant numbers of ratepayers in Babergh. The intention is that ratepayers who occupy only one rated premises in England, where the rateable value is less than £12,000, will receive a reduction in rate liability. Where the rateable value is up to £6,000 the relief will be 50%, tapering to no relief at £12,000 rateable value.
This relief is financed by a 'supplement' on the rate bills of other businesses, where they do not meet the above criteria. In addition, premises between £12,000 and £17,999 rateable value will not be entitled to relief, but will not be subject to the supplement, if it is the ratepayer’s only premises.
Although the regulations refer, for both relief and exclusion from supplement purposes, to ratepayers having only one premises in England, there is an important exception to this rule. This applies where the ratepayer has other premises, but the individual rateable values are not more than £2,599 and the total of all the values do not exceed £17,999. In such cases the additional premises are disregarded.
The regulations do require that any ratepayers wishing to receive this relief, or exclusion from the supplement, must make an application to the Council. The questions on the application form are as required by the Government and specified in the regulations.
If this is granted, the relief will continue until further notice. No other application will be required during that period unless there is a change to the applicant’s circumstances. This is explained in the notes on the form. An application may be made using the link below.
Small Business Rate Relief for 2010/11 - 2014/15 application form (PDF, 41kb)
Please read the notes below as they assist with completing the application:-
Question 1 (a)
: The name should include any Trading name, if applicable. If the business is a partnership the names of all the partners are required. If a company is Limited or a PLC etc. please specify that.
Question 2 (a)
: This must be your premises in the Babergh Area. (‘Hereditament’ means premises that you occupy)
Question 2 (b) :
It would be helpful if you could specify the Council responsible for the area where these premises are situated and the Rating List reference number(s) (if known). Do not include solely Domestic premises, that are only subject to Council Tax.
Parts of the form are shaded in Blue. These should be ignored if this is your first application for 2010/11 - 2014/15.
SMALL BUSINESS RATE RELIEF ANNOUNCEMENT - BUDGET 22 JUNE 2010
The Government confirmed a temporary increase in the level of Small Business Rate Relief. These changes took effect from 1 October 2010. As from that date, relief is 100% where the rateable value of the premises is up to £6,000, with additional relief granted for rateable values from £6,001 to £11,999. This level of relief will apply for one year from 1 October 2010 to 30 September 2011.
BUDGET UPDATE - 23 MARCH 2011
In this Budget, the Government announced that the temporary enhanced relief referred to above will now continue to apply for a further year - from 1 October 2011 to 30 September 2012.
This change will affect the instalments due from 1 October 2011. There is no need to apply for this additional relief. Ratepayers already receiving Small Business Rate Relief will automatically be issued with revised bills once the new legislation is in place. |