Apply for small business rate relief

You may be eligible for a business rates reduction if your business occupies a single non-domestic property with a rateable value below £15,000.

With effect from 1 April 2017 properties with a rateable value below £12,000 will receive a 100% reduction on the non-domestic rate charge. This will decrease on a sliding scale by 1% for every £30 rateable value between £12,000 and £14,999. View our small business rates relief for 2024 to 2025 for further information.

Properties with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000 will not receive a percentage reduction, but will pay rates based on the lower multiplier rather than the standard multiplier. 

Change of circumstances

Should your circumstances change, such as one of the following:

  • you take occupation of an additional property
  • take responsibility for an additional property 
  • one of your properties has an increase or decrease in rateable value 

You must tell us within four weeks, or you could lose your relief entitlement.

It is a criminal offence to provide false information when applying for small business rate relief. If you do so you could be fined, imprisoned or both.

Exclusions

Empty properties do not qualify for small business rate relief. See our Empty business property page.

Ratepayers in receipt of mandatory charitable rate relief or rural rate relief do not qualify for small business rate relief.

If I have more than one property

You may still be eligible for this relief if you have more than one non-domestic rated property. If all other properties have, a rateable value of less than £2,900 each and the rateable value of your main property plus all other properties totals less than £20,000.

Small business rate relief will only be granted to your main property - the one with the highest rateable value.

If you take responsibility for an additional property

If your businesses take on an additional property with a Rateable Value of above £2,899 or brings the total Rateable Value of all your properties to £20,000 or more. You will no longer qualify for Small Business Rate Relief but will retain your existing relief for 12 months. This extension is only awarded on the property that originally received Small Business Rate Relief, even if it is no longer the one with the highest Rateable Value. 

How to apply

You can apply for small business rate relief using our online form.

When completing your application form on page 2, when asked What is your Business Type?

  • If you trade on your own and not with a business partner, family member or friend, please select the Sole Trader option.
  • If you do trade with another person such as a business partner, family member, or friend, please select Unregistered Partnership option and provide all trading partners details.

Apply now