Reductions in Business Rates may be available for the following:
People with disabilities
You may be eligible for up to 100% relief if you provide residential accommodation for the care or aftercare of people who are ill; if you provide training for disabled people; welfare services or workshops for disabled people.
To apply, complete a Disabled Persons Relief application form (PDF 56Kb).
Empty property
Business Rates are payable at the rate of 50% for up to three months on property which is unoccupied. After three months, a reduction of 10% of the normal business rate applies. For industrial properties relief is awarded at 100% for the first 6 months followed by a reduction of 10%. The 10% reduction does not apply to listed buildings, property vested in certain trustees or property with a rateable value of £1,700 or less. Industrial premises can qualify for Empty Property Relief even when partly occupied.
To apply, complete an Empty Property Relief application form (PDF 92Kb).
Fresh start
Businesses occupying certain long term empty properties which have been empty for at least one year may be entitled to a relief of 100% discount for their first 12 months in those premises.
In order to qualify for relief you need to have started occupying the property on or after 1 April 2018, the property must have been empty for at least the previous 6 months before your occupation and was previously in receipt of Empty Property Relief. The rateable value must be under £95,000.
To apply, complete a Fresh Start application form (PDF 146Kb)
Business growth accelerator
For new entry or new build properties, relief is available for properties that have been entered on the valuation roll on or after1 April 2018. Such properties will receive 100% relief whilst vacant, with a further 100% relief continuing for 12 months following first occupation. This will not apply where one or more buildings, or parts of a building, forming part of the new entry were shown in any entry on the roll on the day immediately prior to the day the new entry takes effect.
Improved properties relief is available for existing properties that have had their rateable value increased on or after 1 April 2018 as a result of improvements, such as refurbishment or expansion to, or the erection of one or more buildings to, or by the change of use of, the existing lands and heritages. However, this excludes increases caused by the combination, division or reorganisation of lands and heritages shown in a different entry in the Roll on the day before the change takes effect. This relief will apply for 12 months from the date of increase, regardless of whether the property is vacant or occupied.
To apply, complete a Business growth accelerator application form (PDF 290Kb).
Social benefit
Registered charities and other organisations of social benefit - such as sports, theatre, arts, clubs etc, can qualify for both Mandatory and Discretionary Relief of up to 100% of Business Rates liability. Licensed clubs are not necessarily disqualified.
To apply, complete a Social Benefit Relief application form (PDF 31Kb).
Small business bonus scheme
Occupiers of non domestic property located in Scotland with a combined rateable value of £35,000 or less may be eligible for relief as follows:
Small business bonus scheme
| Rateable value | Relief |
|---|
|
Up to £15,000
|
100%
|
|
£15,001 to £18,000
|
25%
|
|
£18,001 to £35,000
|
25% on individual property each with a rateable value up to £18,000 *
|
* Multiple properties linked to one business may be eligible for relief if their combined RV does not exceed £35,000.
Payday lenders are not eligible for the Small Business Bonus Scheme.
To apply, complete a Small Business Bonus Scheme application form (PDF 263Kb).
Transitional relief
Following the 2017 rates revaluation, Transitional Relief became available to certain categories of business and the scheme applies to a 12.5% limit to the real increase in gross bills between 2016/17 and 2017/18.
The relief can only be awarded to certain categories of business (hotel, pub, restaurant).
To apply, complete a Transitional Relief application form (PDF 197Kb).
Day nursery relief
From April 2018, you will be able to get 100% relief on your business rates if you run a day nursery. To get this relief your premises must be used only as a nursery school or mainly as a nursery school.
To apply, complete a Day Nursery application form (PDF 299Kb).
Rural rate relief
You can get 100% off your business rates if your property is in a designated rural area with a population below 3,000 and it is:
- a small food shop, general store or post office with a rateable value below £8,500
- a small hotel, public house or petrol filling station with a rateable value of up to £12,750
- any other business providing a benefit to the community with a rateable value of up to £17,000
To apply, complete a Rural Rate Relief Application form (PDF 62Kb).
Renewable energy generation relief
You may be able to get up to 100% off your business rates if your scheme has arrangements in place that entitle one or more community organisations to at least 15% of the annual profit, or so much of the annual profit as is attributable to 0.5 megawatt of the total installed capacity of the project (or more). To be eligible the scheme has to produce heat or power from certain sources and the amount you can receive depends on the rateable value of your property. For more information please contact us.
To apply, complete a Renewable Energy application form (PDF 399Kb).
Publication of businesses receiving rates relief
From 1 April 2021, all businesses that are in receipt of any form of Non-Domestic Rates relief will be published online. This publication is to increase transparency around the use of public funds through Non-Domestic relief awards.
For full details on how your information will be used, please read the Relief Recipients Privacy Notice.
Relief recipients
Download a list of the non-domestic rates relief recipients (Excel 285Kb).