Your BID levy is billed annually on 13 October and just under £500,000 is collected each year to enable delivery of the Business Plan. You can sign up for e-billing here.
Below are the Levy Rules that apply to Canterbury Business Improvement District. To find out about how your levy was invested during the pandemic and to find out more about how the BID works, see our FAQs.
The following rules must be read in conjunction with the Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004 and Part 4 of the Local Government Act 2003. The term of the BID will be five years from 13 October 2024 to 12 October 2029
1. Hereditaments subject to the BID levy
1.1. All Non-Domestic ratepayers will be subject to an annual BID Levy in respect of a hereditament if, on the 13 October in the year of the collection of the levy, the hereditament is in the defined Canterbury BID area and they are listed on the National Non-Domestic rates list, as provided by Canterbury City Council.
1.2. All new hereditaments entering the Rating List after 13 October 2024 will be levied at the rate detailed below in rule 2 at the start of each chargeable year.
2. The BID levy
The annual BID levy will be calculated as rateable value (RV) x BID multiplier and will be fixed as of 13 October 2024 based on the 2023 Rating List (subject to inflationary adjustments in rule 2.5):
2.1. 1.8% of RV on all hereditaments.
2.2 Non-retail charities will receive 80% relief on the BID levy.
2.3 Non-income generating premises classified with the following Special Category Codes will be exempt from the BID levy: Public conveniences (224G), Communication stations (066G), Local Authority Schools (159G) and NHS Surgeries & Health Centres (436G).
2.4 A threshold of £5,000 rateable value will be applied, exempting any business hereditament within the defined BID area falling below this rateable value.
2.5 The BID levy may increase by an annual discretionary inflationary factor of up to 5%. The board will decide whether to apply the inflation factor and at what level each year.
2.6 VAT will not be charged on the BID levy.
2.7 The BID will not take into account any changes in the national ratings revaluation during its five year term.
2.8 The BID levy will not be affected by small business rates relief or any other discretionary relief grant.
3. Collection of the BID levy
3.1 The levy will be charged annually in advance for each chargeable period from October to September, starting on 13 October 2024 utilising the prevailing values on the 2023 Rating List.
3.2 The levy is an annual charge payable in advance as a single payment and no refunds will be made on the BID levy.
3.3 Any adjustments to the rateable values will only be applied to the BID levy at the fixed date of the subsequent chargeable year but will remain on the 2023 Rating List for the term of the BID.
3.4 The levy will be on a Chargeable Day basis and due as a single annual payment on 13 October. If a hereditament changes tenant during the course of a year no refund will be paid to the departing tenant who will have to seek an accommodation or otherwise with the new tenant.
3.5 Where a property is subject to change of use from business to residential then the levy will cease in the year after which the change takes place. No refund or part levy will be payable in this instance.
3.6 The levy will be payable in one instalment collected by Canterbury City Council and is payable within 14 days. Collection and enforcement of the BID levy will be similar to those applied to business rates.
4. Persons / Organisations Liable for the BID levy
4.1 Liability for the BID Levy will be the responsibility of the ratepayer of the hereditament on 13 October in the year of the collection of the levy.
4.2 In the case of vacant properties, the registered business ratepayer, who many be the property owner, will be liable to pay the full BID levy and will be entitled to vote in the BID ballot.
Canterbury City Council is responsible for the administration and collection of the BID levy. If you experience any problems with payment of the BID levy please phone 01227 862 316 or email businessrates@canterbury.gov.uk. They are there to help and advise you. You must tell them straight away if you move in or out of a business property. This helps them keep your BID levy bill accurate.
