Business rates relief
Get help with business rates relief
Local councils are responsible for sending business rates bills, collecting payments and making decisions on whether businesses are eligible for relief.
Contact your local council to get free help with business rates relief. For example, the council can tell you:
-
the types of business rates relief you’re eligible for and how to apply
-
if you can get more than one kind of relief
-
why you’ve stopped getting a relief
-
why the amount of business rates relief you’re getting has changed
-
what ‘discretionary reliefs’ the council offers in your area
-
if a change in your circumstances will change the relief you’ll get - for example, buying a new property or renovating it
If you disagree with a local council decision about business rates relief
Contact the council to find out why the decision was made. You may be able to apply to the council again with more evidence of your eligibility.
If you need to challenge the rateable value of your property
Some reliefs, like small business rate relief, are based on the rateable value of your property.
If you think your property’s rateable value is incorrect, you can challenge it with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).
Use your business rates valuation account to challenge the rateable value of your property. It’s free to do this.
You can use a rating agent to challenge the rateable value of your property but you do not need to. Get advice on appointing an agent.