Small Business Rates Relief

You can get small business rate relief if: 

• You occupy one property only 

• The property has a rateable value below £15,000  

You cannot claim for unoccupied properties, or for properties entitled to mandatory relief.

If you occupy more than one property, the properties cannot have a rateable value exceeding £2,899, and the rateable value of all the properties must be less than £19,999 outside London (or £27,999 in London).

If the total rateable value increases above these levels, relief will cease from the day of the increase.

From April 1st, 2017:

• if the rateable value is £12,000 or below, it will be 100% relief. 
• if the rateable value is between £12,001 and £15,000 it will reduce on a sliding scale of 4% decrease in relief awarded for every £120 increase in rateable value until you reach 0% relief at rateable value of £15,000. 
• Occupied properties with rateable value of £50,999 or below who are NOT entitled to mandatory relief will have their bills calculated using the small business rates multiplier, rather than the standard non-domestic rates multiplier. 
• Occupied properties with rateable value over £50,999 or below and who ARE entitled to mandatory charitable relief, will be charged on the standard multiplier.

Since 2014, those businesses that take on an additional property which would normally have meant the loss of relief, will continue to receive their existing relief on their main property only for 12 months.

After 12 months, the small business rate relief extension will end. 

An application for Small Business Rate Relief is not required.  

Where a ratepayer meets the eligibility criteria and has not received the relief, they should contact their council.

Provided the ratepayer continues to satisfy the conditions for relief which apply at the relevant time as regards the property and the ratepayer, they will automatically continue to receive relief in each new valuation period. 

To apply for Small Business Rates Relief for the first time, please contact us via telephone 01902 696669 or email us at taxation@sstaffs.gov.uk  

Upon receipt of the information, we will endeavour to process your application within 14 days.

It is a criminal offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement when making a claim for Small Business Rates Relief. 

The council needs to be notified of any changes in circumstances by a ratepayer who is in receipt of the relief. The changes we should be notified of are:

• The ratepayer taking up occupation of an additional property.

• An increase in the rateable value of a property occupied by the ratepayer in an area outside the area of the council which granted the relief. 

Further information on SBRR, including the different levels of SBRR, and other rate reliefs are available at: www.businesslink.gov.uk/businessrates 

If you require further assistance, please contact the Business Rates Department by email: taxation@sstaffs.gov.uk or by telephone: 01902 696669 

If you would like to register for self-service where you can access information on your Business rates account please follow this link: self service