Reductions on your Rates bill

 

Revaluation Transitional Relief (RTR)

A RTR has been introduced to cap increases in rates liability due to the revaluation. Your bill will show RTR where this is due.

Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS)

From 1 April 2023, the level of SBBS relief a property is entitled to will be based on the RV of the property, as well as whether the ratepayer is:

  • liable for a single property in Scotland, or
  • liable for multiple properties in Scotland

Car parks, car spaces, advertisements and betting shops will be excluded from eligibility for SBBS from 1 April 2023.

Small Business Transitional Relief

A Small Business Transitional Relief will be introduced for those losing or seeing a reduction in Small Business Bonus Scheme relief or Rural Rates Relief (including due to SBBS exclusions) on 1 April 2023, to ensure that properties that lose SBBS relief eligibility do so in a phased manner. The maximum increase in the rates liability relative to 31 March 2023 will be capped at £600 in 2023-24, rising to £1,200 in 2024-25 and £1,800 in 2025-26.

Business Growth Accelerator

Properties in receipt of Business Growth Accelerator on 31 March 2023 will continue to be eligible for an equivalent percentage of relief on the new rateable value for the remaining duration of the relief.

Prescribed Plant Machinery

Prescribed Plant and Machinery used for onsite renewable energy generation and storage will be exempt from rating from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2025.

Fresh Start Relief

Properties in receipt of Fresh Start Relief on 31 March 2023 will continue to receive relief for the remaining duration of the relief, regardless of whether the new rateable value is above the qualifying threshold. From 1 April 2023, the rateable value up to which properties qualify for Fresh Start Relief will increase from £95k to £100k.

Enterprise Areas

Enterprise Area relief will be extended by one year to 31 March 2024.

Empty Property Relief

If your business property is unoccupied and unfurnished you can apply for empty property relief.  Our definition of unfurnished is cleared of all moveable items otherwise the property is being used for storage. Exceptions may relate to industrial subjects where certain plant and machinery remains.

Inverclyde Council’s Empty Property Relief Policy is found in the Documents section. 

Enquiries

To check reliefs you are entitled to, check the NDR Relief Policy in the Documents section. The Non Domestic Rates section can be reached by email rates@inverclyde.gov.uk or by phone: 01475 712270.

 Before we can award any reduction, we may arrange to visit the property to check it is empty.

Restrictions on Rates Relief

This section details circumstances where the amount of relief awarded may be restricted by Scottish Government legislation.

Subsidy control (previously de minimis state aid)

Ratepayers should note that certain types of non-domestic rates relief is capped by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement de minimis threshold.

The Non-Domestic Rates (Restriction on Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 set, from 1 April 2021, a cap on the aggregate financial amount that can be awarded in the form of specified non-domestic rates reliefs. In calculating the cap regard must be had to relief or assistance that prior to EU Exit would have been considered de minimis State aid (financial support from the government).

The specified reliefs now subject to these measures are;

  • Renewable Energy relief
  • Enterprise Areas relief
  • Telephone Mast relief
  • Rural relief
  • District Heating relief
  • Transitional relief and
  • Day Nursery relief

These reliefs and any de minimis assistance, when added together, must not exceed 325,000 Special Drawing Rights

Special drawing rights

Special drawing rights (SDR) are an artificial currency instrument created by the International Monetary Fund, which uses them for internal accounting purposes.

The value of the SDR is calculated from a weighted basket of major currencies, including the U.S. dollar, the euro, Japanese yen, Chinese yuan, and British pound

The 325,000 figure is the threshold set for de minimis relief by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement entered into on 30 December 2020 between the European Union, the European Atomic Energy Community and the United Kingdom.

More is available on the International Monetary Fund website.

Applying for relief

If you consider that you, or any other company you have a single undertaking relationship with in the UK, have already received support from UK, Scottish and Local Government in excess of, or close to, this sum you must declare this if applying for any further support.

Not all grants or relief awards are considered to be capped in this way therefore we will only ask for this information where appropriate.