You will not pay business rates on a property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less. For properties with a rateable value of £12,001 to £15,000, the rate of relief will go down gradually from 100% to 0%. Examples. If your rateable value is £13,500, you’ll get 50% off your bill.

Non-domestic rates are often referred to as 'business rates'. Rates reliefs are handled differently in England , Wales and Northern Ireland . If you think you may be eligible for any discounts on your bill, such as the Small Business Bonus Scheme, you can contact your local council to discuss eligibility. Find and check your business rates valuation. You can check the ‘rateable value’ of your property - this is set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and used by your local council to calculate your business rates bill. You can also: request changes to property or valuation details if you think they’re wrong. Business rates relief for empty property. This practice note considers how the business rates regime applies to empty properties, and the various reliefs available. It also highlights related landlord and tenant issues. To access this resource, sign up for a free, 14-day trial of Practical Law. “If squatters invade commercial premises, it is the responsibility of the business owner to pick up the bill to evict them and to restore the property to its original condition. The legal fees for removing a squatter start at about £5,000” 1

Find and check your business rates valuation. You can check the ‘rateable value’ of your property - this is set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and used by your local council to calculate your business rates bill. You can also: request changes to property or valuation details if you think they’re wrong.

If your property becomes vacant, whether it’s a retail outlet, residential home or office building, you are exempt from paying business rates for three months. However, at the end of this time, you will be required to pay the full amount of business rates to your local authority, as usual. One of the most common techniques of avoiding to pay business rates on empty properties is finding tenants that are willing to occupy the property for at least 6 weeks. Once it is let or occupied, the tenant will be obliged to pay the business rates, however, after their lease is over and the property is left empty once again, your rates exemption period is renewed. Business Rates Mitigation Busi­ness rates are a sub­stan­tial bur­den on a busi­ness, restrict­ing invest­ment and impact­ing on prof­itabil­i­ty. Vacant prop­er­ties will not be expect­ed to pay busi­ness rates for a peri­od of three months after they become emp­ty, although this can vary depend­ing on prop­er­ty type, size Business rates loopholes could be forthcoming If you’re the owner of industrial premises – one of three types of commercial property which also includes retail and office premises – then you may be entitled to a six-month business rates exemption if your premises remain empty. Where a property is occupied by a small business and it has a rateable value below £18,000 (£25,500 in Greater London), the business may be entitled to a discount of up to 50% on its rates bills. After the initial three or six month rate free period expires, an empty property is liable for 100% of the basic occupied business rate charge unless:- From 1 April 2017 , the rateable value of the property is less than £2,899 . After the initial three or six month rate free period expires, empty property will be liable for 100% of the basic occupied business rate unless: It is held by a charity and appears likely to be next used for charitable purposes. The rateable value is under the threshold value of £2,900. (Note, before the 1 April 2017, the threshold value was £2,600). Empty properties with a rateable value of less than £2,900 will be exempt.

Find and check your business rates valuation. You can check the ‘rateable value’ of your property - this is set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and used by your local council to calculate your business rates bill. You can also: request changes to property or valuation details if you think they’re wrong.

Business rates are a tax on property used for business purposes. They are charged on properties such as offices, shops, pubs, and warehouses – most non-domestic properties will attract business rates.

Business rates are a tax on property used for business purposes. They are charged on properties such as offices, shops, pubs, and warehouses – most non-domestic properties will attract business rates.

After the initial three or six month rate free period expires, an empty property is liable for 100% of the basic occupied business rate charge unless:- From 1 April 2017 , the rateable value of the property is less than £2,899 . After the initial three or six month rate free period expires, empty property will be liable for 100% of the basic occupied business rate unless: It is held by a charity and appears likely to be next used for charitable purposes. The rateable value is under the threshold value of £2,900. (Note, before the 1 April 2017, the threshold value was £2,600). Empty properties with a rateable value of less than £2,900 will be exempt. Non-domestic rates are often referred to as 'business rates'. Rates reliefs are handled differently in England , Wales and Northern Ireland . If you think you may be eligible for any discounts on your bill, such as the Small Business Bonus Scheme, you can contact your local council to discuss eligibility. Find and check your business rates valuation. You can check the ‘rateable value’ of your property - this is set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and used by your local council to calculate your business rates bill. You can also: request changes to property or valuation details if you think they’re wrong. Business rates relief for empty property. This practice note considers how the business rates regime applies to empty properties, and the various reliefs available. It also highlights related landlord and tenant issues. To access this resource, sign up for a free, 14-day trial of Practical Law. “If squatters invade commercial premises, it is the responsibility of the business owner to pick up the bill to evict them and to restore the property to its original condition. The legal fees for removing a squatter start at about £5,000” 1

Liability for business rates where property undergoing substantial refurbishment (Supreme Court)by Practical Law PropertyRelated ContentIn Newbigin (Valuation Officer) v S J & J Monk (a firm) [2017] UKSC 14, the Supreme Court considered whether a vacant non-domestic property undergoing refurbishment could be assumed to be in repair for the purpose of assessing business rates.Free Practical Law

If your property becomes vacant, whether it’s a retail outlet, residential home or office building, you are exempt from paying business rates for three months. However, at the end of this time, you will be required to pay the full amount of business rates to your local authority, as usual. One of the most common techniques of avoiding to pay business rates on empty properties is finding tenants that are willing to occupy the property for at least 6 weeks. Once it is let or occupied, the tenant will be obliged to pay the business rates, however, after their lease is over and the property is left empty once again, your rates exemption period is renewed.

Business Rates Mitigation Busi­ness rates are a sub­stan­tial bur­den on a busi­ness, restrict­ing invest­ment and impact­ing on prof­itabil­i­ty. Vacant prop­er­ties will not be expect­ed to pay busi­ness rates for a peri­od of three months after they become emp­ty, although this can vary depend­ing on prop­er­ty type, size and loca­tion.