Business rates discounts, exemptions and relief

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Small business rate relief

Overview

You can get small business rate relief if:

  • your property’s rateable value is less than £15,000
  • your business only uses one property, you may still be able to get relief if you use more

Amount of business rate relief available to ratepayers

For a property with a rateable value of not more than:

  • £15,000 the ratepayer will receive a relief of up to a maximum of 100%
  • £12,000 the ratepayer will receive a relief of 100% 

Ratepayers who can apply for relief 

Generally, this relief is only available to ratepayers who occupy: 

  • (a) one property, or
  • (b) one main property and other additional properties providing those additional properties each have a rateable value which does not exceed £2,899

The rateable value of the property mentioned in (a), or the combined total rateable value of all the properties mentioned in (b), must not exceed £19,999 outside London or £27,999 in London on each day for which relief is being claimed.

If the rateable value, or combined total rateable value, increases above those levels, relief will stop from the day of the increase.

The Government has introduced additional support to small businesses. For those businesses that take on an additional property which would normally have meant the loss of small business rate relief, the Government has confirmed they will be allowed to keep that relief for a period of 12 months.

Certain changes in circumstances will need to be notified to us by a ratepayer who is in receipt of relief. Other changes will be picked up by us.

The changes you must tell us about:

  • (a) the ratepayer taking up occupation of an additional property, and
  • (b) an increase in the rateable value of a property occupied by the ratepayer in an area other than the area of the local authority which granted the relief.

Apply for small business rate relief

Unoccupied property rating

Business rates will not be payable in the first 3 months that a property is empty. This is extended to 6 months in the case of certain industrial properties.

After this period rates are payable in full unless the unoccupied property rate has been reduced by the Government by order.

In most cases the unoccupied property rate is zero for properties owned by charities and community amateur sports clubs. In addition, there are a number of exemptions from the unoccupied property rate.

Full details on exemptions can be obtained from the Business Rates Department. If the unoccupied property rate for the financial year has been reduced by order, it will be shown on the front of your bill.

    Charity and Not-for-Profit Discretionary Rate Relief

    We can grant discretionary local discounts. Full details are in the discretionary rate relief policy: 

    Hardship relief

    We have the discretion to give hardship relief in exceptional circumstances. Please complete the application form and send it back to us.

    Application form for hardship relief 2023 to 2024 (ODT, 16 KB)

    Charity and community amateur sports club relief

    There is an 80% mandatory relief for charities and registered Community Amateur Sports Clubs. This is only when they occupy the property and use for the charitable purposes of the charity or purpose of the club. This includes when there is more than one charity or club using the property too.

      Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme

      You may be able to claim for retail, hospitality, and leisure relief if your business is mainly used as a:

      • shop
      • cinema or music venue
      • restaurant, bar, takeaway, pub, or café
      • sport, leisure, or hospitality business

      What benefits you’ll receive

      If you’re eligible, you could get 75% off your business rates bills for the 2024 to 2025 billing year (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025).

      You will only be able to claim up to £110,000 per business. For further information please see GOV.UK  

      Excluded from this relief

      You are not eligible for retail relief if you fit into any of these categories:

      • financial services (e.g. banks, building societies, cash points, bureaux de change, short-term loan providers, betting shops)
      • medical services (e.g. vets, dentists, doctors, osteopaths, chiropractors)
      • professional services (e.g. solicitors, accountants, insurance agents/ financial advisers, employment agencies, estate agents, letting agents)
      • post office sorting offices

      You will also not be eligible if you have a property not reasonably accessible to visiting members of the public.

      The full eligibility criteria for getting retail relief is set out on GOV.UK

      Apply

      Before you apply, you will need:

      • account reference
      • name of occupier
      • property details

      What happens next

      We aim to deal with applications within five working days

      Apply for retail relief  2023 - 2024 (Deadline: 30 September 2024) (ODT 20Kb)

      Apply for retail relief 2024 - 2025 (ODT, 20 KB)

      Relief for local newspapers 2020 to 2025

      The Government is providing funding to local authorities so that they can provide a discount worth up to £1,500 a year until 31 March 2025, to office space occupied by local newspapers.

      This is up to a maximum of one discount per local newspaper title and per hereditament, and up to state aid limits. The relief will be delivered through local authority discretionary discount powers (under section 47(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988).

      Eligibility criteria for the local newspaper business rates relief is set out by GOV.UK

      Contact Business Rates

      Opening times:

      Monday to Thursday: 9am to 5:15pm
      Friday: 9am to 5pm

      Tel: 020 8359 2735

      Email: businessrates@barnet.gov.uk

      Write to us at:

      Barnet Council
      Business Rates
      PO Box 236 
      Erith
      DA8 9HH