Home >> council >> departments >> supportservices30/08/2008 09:49:59

Business Rates

Reliefs and Exemptions

Unoccupied Property Relief

In general, there will be no Business Rates to pay for the first three months that a property is empty. After that, an empty property rate of 50% of the bill that would have been due to the occupied property will be payable. Industrial buildings, listed buildings or small properties with rateable values of less than £2200, pay no empty property rates even after the first three months have expired.

 

Back to Reliefs and Exemptions

Charitable Relief, Relief for Registered Community Amateur Sport Clubs (CASCs) and Discretionary Relief

Charities are entitled to relief from rates on any non-domestic property that it wholly or mainly used for charitable purposes. Registered CASCs are also entitled to relief from rates on any non-domestic property that is wholly or mainly used for the purposes of that club, or that club and of other such registered clubs. In both cases, successful applications will receive relief of 80% of the bill and local councils have discretion to give further relief on the remaining bill.

 

Authorities also have discretion to give relief on all or part of any rate bill for a property occupied by certain non-profit making bodies. They can also consider giving rate relief in cases of hardship or where part of a property is beyond use for a certain period.

 

Back to Reliefs and Exemptions

Partly Occupied Property Relief

A Ratepayer is liable for the full non-domestic rate whether a property is wholly occupied or only partly occupied. Where a property is partly occupied for a short time, the local authority has discretion to award relief in respect of the unoccupied part. Please contact the office for more information regarding this.

 

Back to Reliefs and Exemptions

Small Business Rate Relief

This is a new relief that came into effect on 1 April 2005. Eligible businesses with rateable values of below £5000 will get 50% rate relief on their liability. This relief will decrease on a sliding scale of 1% for every £100 of rateable value over £5,000, up to £9,999.

 

The relief is available to ratepayers with either:

  • One property, or
  • one main property and other additional properties, providing the additional properties do not have individual rateable values of more than £2,200, and the combined rateable value of all the properties is under £15,000 (or £21,500 in London). The threshold for the combined rateable value is dependant on the location of the main property.

In addition to this relief on liability, eligible businesses's with rateable values of between £10,000 and £14,999 (or between £10,000 and £21,499 in London) will have their liability calculated using the small business multiplier (41.5p in 2005/2006 and 42.6p in 2006/2007)

 

The Small Business Rate Relief scheme will be funded by a supplement on the rate bill of those businesses not eligible for the relief. This supplement is built into the standard multiplier.

 

Currently you must apply for the relief each year and be eligible on 1 April of each year. If your business ceases to be eligible on a day during the year in question, the relief will cease on that day. You must submit your application for the relief to us within six months of the end of the financial year to which it relates - for the 2005/2006 financial year, the last date for applications will be 30th September 2006.

 

Should you wish to claim Small Business Rate Relief ,please download and complete the application form below. Once you have completed the form, please print and sign the form and return it to Fareham Borough Council, Revenues Department, Civic Offices, Civic Way, Fareham, PO16 7AZ.

 

Download the form (25 Kb) An image of a PDF logo

 

Back to Reliefs and Exemptions

Rate Relief for New, Non-Agricultural Business on previously Agricultural Land or Buildings

Rate Relief is available for businesses with rateable values of up to £7,000 where the business is set up on previously agricultural land or buildings. Subject to certain conditions, the business will get a 50% reduction in the rates bill for up to five years, ending on 15th August 2006. Local Councils have discretion to give further relief on the remaining bill on such properties.

 

Back to Reliefs and Exemptions

Qualifying Industrial Hereditament

An unoccupied 'Qualifying Industrial Hereditament is exempt, and is a defined as any hereditament other than a retail hereditament in relation to which all buildings comprised in the hereditament are:

  • Properties that are constructed or adapted for use in the course of a trade or business.
  • Properties constructed or adapted for use as storage, processing of minerals, the generating of electricity and the manufacturing or repair of goods or materials.

Back to Reliefs and Exemptions

Occupation Prohibited by Law

An unoccupied property is exempt where its owner is prohibited by the law from occupying it or allowing it to be occupied. This situation may arise where a local authority has taken legal action to prevent occupation on the grounds of a risk to health and/or safety, or where an occupation of the building would inevitably lead to action by the relevant authority or body to bring the occupation to an end.

 

Back to Reliefs and Exemptions

Listed Buildings

An unoccupied property which is the subject of a building preservation notice, or which is included in a list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.

 

Back to Reliefs and Exemptions

Ancient Monuments

This relates to all unoccupied properties that are included in the schedule of ancient monuments.

 

Back to Reliefs and Exemptions

Minimum Rateable Value

Unoccupied properties within England with a rateable value of less than £2,200 are exempt from Business Rates.

 

Back to Reliefs and Exemptions

Insolvency and Debt Administration

Exemption from liability on unoccupied properties also applies to the following cases:

  • where the owner is a company which is subject to a winding-up order.
  • The property is currently in possession by a liquidator
  • A bankruptcy order has been served on the owner's estate
  • Finally where an owner is entitled to possession of the property in the his capacity as the trustee under a deed arrangement.

Back to Reliefs and Exemptions

 

If you want further information about any of the reliefs or exemptions, please contact the Business Rates Office on Tel: 01329 824673, or e-mail businessrates@fareham.gov.uk

 

Back to Content Page