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Small business rate relief

This is based on the rateable value (RV) of your business. It is aimed at helping small businesses that are not entitled to another mandatory relief.

Who can apply

Businesses that occupy only one property in England and have an RV of less than £15,000. Your business may also qualify if you occupy one main property and other additional properties, providing that: 

  • the additional properties do not have individual RVs of more than £2,899, and
  • the combined RV of all the properties is under £20,000.

If you qualify when you occupy more than one property, you can only be granted relief on the main property. You will continue to receive the relief for 12 months even if you take on an extra property that increases the RV past £20,000.

How much relief can you get

Properties with an RV:

  • of up to £12,000 will receive 100% relief  
  • between £12,000 and £15,000 receive tapered relief which reduces from 100% at £12,000 to 0% at £15,000.
  

Rateable Value (RV) of property

  
  

Amount of small business rate relief

  

Up to £12,000

(£5,999 prior to 1 April 2017)

100% relief

£12,001 to £14,999

(£6,000 to £11,999 prior to 1 April 2017)

Relief is awarded on a sliding scale from 100% to 0%; 1% for every £30 of rateable value

(Relief reducing on a sliding scale of 2% per £120 RV and a lower multiplier of 48.4p prior to 1 April 2017)

Properties up to £51,000

(£12,000 to £17,999 prior to 1 April 2017)

Relief is awarded using the small business multiplier.

 

If you use more than one property

When you take on a second property, you’ll keep getting any existing relief on your main property for 12 months.

You can still get small business rate relief on your main property after this if both the following apply:

  • none of your other properties have a rateable value above £2,899
  • the total rateable value of all your properties is less than £20,000 (£28,000 in London)

You must notify us straight away if you take on any additional businesses and you are in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief.

Apply for Small Business Rate Relief

Need help?

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