If your
business rate bill increased last year and is contributing towards financial hardship, you may qualify for the council's
business rates relief scheme.
Plaid Cymru has called for a
business rate relief scheme to be set up to help community hydro projects after a "ridiculous" increase in their
business rates.
Adjustments to the
business rate multiplier will mean that overall, receipts from
business rates will remain constant in real terms following the revaluation.
A Policy Network report calls for councils to have full powers to set
business rate levels, working alongside combined authorities - alongside a new system for determining what businesses pay.
Clr Sheard added that
business rate relief for small businesses was vital locally, adding: "We've got to make sure that continues.
In your North East Manifesto survey, there was huge support for a
business rate cut, at 47.
Ministers should also strongly lobby UK Government to retain the small
business rate relief scheme beyond March, 2013.
Today the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) called on the government to drop its plans, pointing out the uniform
business rate was established in 1990 specifically to prevent councils in certain areas of the country from hitting firms with inflation-busting
business rate rises.
However for all the success of the small business bonus, we know that some aspects of the
business rate system are still a source of concern for some of you.
Not only will local authorities be able to keep the monies raised by
business rates, they will also be able to adopt their own rate poundage as the uniform
business rate, which was introduced on 1 April 1990, is to be abolished.
Questions in the discussion paper ask for evidence and data on: the trends in use and occupation of non-domestic property; how property usage affects some sectors more than others; examples from other jurisdictions and tax; how
business rates can be used to incentivise local authorities to drive growth; if increased local retention of
business rate revenue would impact on business growth; what will the impacts be on local authorities; and are there other local incentives that the government should consider to further incentivise business growth?
