The Supporting Small Businesses relief will help those ratepayers who as a result of the change in their rateable value at the revaluation are losing some or all of their small business or rural rate relief and, as a result, are facing large increases in their bills.  The awarding of this relief is subject to State Aid De Minimis Regulations.

A percentage increase* in each year(after inflation is applied) of:

2017/18 5%
2018/19 7.5%
2019/20 10%
2020/21 15%
2021/22 15%

*The percentage increase is taken against the bill for 31 March 2017 after small business rate relief is applied.

This means that in the first year of the scheme ratepayers losing some or all of their small business rate relief will see the increase capped at £600. The cash minimum increase will be £600 a year thereafter. This means that ratepayers who are currently paying nothing under small business rate relief, and are losing all of their entitlement to relief, would under this scheme be paying £3,000 in year five.

Those on the Supporting Small Businesses Relief Scheme whose 2017 rateable values are £51,000 or more will not be liable to pay a supplement to fund small business rate relief while they are eligible for the Supporting Small Businesses Relief Scheme.

Eligibility for the Supporting Small Businesses relief scheme will be lost if the property falls vacant or becomes occupied by a charity or Community Amateur Sports Club.

There is no need to make an application for this relief.  The Council has already identified ratepayers likely to qualify for the Scheme and recalculated and reissued new bills to them.

State Aid

State Aid law is the means by which the European Union regulates state funded support to businesses. 

The 'de minimis' (meaning: small or immaterial impact) regulations allow an undertaking to receive up to €200,000 of aid over a rolling three year period (consisting of the current financial year and the two previous financial years).  Linked enterprises are considered as one single undertaking for the application of the 'de minimis' rule.

It is therefore necessary for the local authority to establish that the awarding of relief will not result in the undertaking having received more than €200,000 of aid.

You should therefore complete our de minimis aid declaration form

If you have not received any other De Minimis State Aid, including any other Discretionary Relief you are being granted for premises other than the one to which the bill relates, you do not need to complete the declaration.