If your business has a rateable value below £51,000, you may be entitled to business rates relief as of 1st April 2019.
You can check the rateable value of your property (on which your business rates and BID levy bills are based) on the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) website. You can also:
- request changes to property or valuation details if you think they’re wrong
- view the valuation details of other properties
- challenge the rateable value if eligible
The retail discount for properties with a rateable value of below £51,000 is a new discount announced in the 2018 Autumn Budget. For 2019/20 and 2020/21, it is applicable to retail properties (basically any shop that sells something, where a member of the public can walk in and buy it), pubs, cafes and restaurants with a rateable value under £51,000 (examples below).
The discount is a third reduction in the value of the bill, after all other reliefs or discounts have been applied. So for example:
Occupied shop with a rateable value of £40,000
Gross rates = £40,000 x 0.491 = £19,640
Retail discount (1/3) = -£6,547
Rates due (after retail discount) = £13,093
OR
Occupied shop with a rateable value of £13,500 eligible for Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR)
Gross rates = £13,500 x 0.491 =£6,629
Net rates after SBRR (50%) =£3,314
Retail discount (1/3) =-£1,105
Rates due = £2,210
The discount is automatically awarded and an exercise was undertaken prior to the 2019/20 bills going out to identify as many of the recipients as we could, so the discount was included on the new year bill.
If you think you are entitled to the relief, but are not receiving it, please complete a ‘Contact the Business Rates Team’ online form on the Canterbury City Council Business Rates website and they will review your case, and, if applicable, award the discount.
Eligible properties
- Shops (butchers, bakers, grocers, jewellers, stationers, off licences, newsagents, chemists, supermarkets etc)
- Charity shops
- Opticians
- Post offices
- Furnishing shops/display rooms
- markets
- Petrol stations
- Garden centres
- Art galleries (where art is for sale/hire)
- Hair & beauty services
- Shoe repairs/key cutting
- Travel agents
- Ticket offices
- Dry cleaners
- Launderettes
- PC/TV/domestic appliance repair
- Funeral directors
- Photo processing
- Tool hire
- Car hire
- Restaurants
- Takeaways
- Sandwich shops
- Coffee shops
- Cafes
- Pubs
- Bars
- Nightclubs & music venues (that have a bar)
Ineligible properties
Financial services
- Banks
- Building societies
- Cash points, bureaux de change
- Payday lenders
- Betting shops
- Pawn brokers
Other services
- Estate agents
- Letting agents
- Employment agencies
Medical services
- Doctors
- Dentists
- Osteopaths
- Chiropractors
Professional services
- Solicitors
- Accountants
- Insurance agents/financial advisor
- Tutors
Post Office sorting offices
- Cinemas, theatres & museums
- Nightclubs & music venues (that don’t have a bar)
- Sport or physical recreation
- Gyms
