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Business rates are based on the rateable value of your business property. This is an estimate of the open market rental value of a property, on a particular date. The latest revaluation took effect from 1st April 2017 and is carried out by the Valuation Office Agency

If your Business Rates changed in April 2017, you may be eligible for one or more discount schemes.

Revaluation of the rateable value

Rateable values are reviewed periodically to take account of changes in the property market. The review used the amounts properties could have been rented for on 1st April 2015. For the Bury borough, some rateable values increased and others reduced.

Your rateable value is shown on your Business Rates bill. If disagree with it, you can appeal your rateable value on GOV.UK.

The 2017 revaluation resulted in changes to Business Rates bills and whether up or down, changes are phased in over a number of years. This is done by limiting the amount a bill can change between one year and the next.

Revaluation relief schemes

Extended transitional and small business relief 2022/23

The Transitional Relief and Supporting Small Business schemes have been extended for the financial year 2022/23. To be eligible for these schemes, business properties are those that:

  • have previously received Transitional Relief and Supporting Small Business Relief, and
  • would have continued to be eligible in 2022/23 if the original schemes not ended.

The extended schemes only apply to small and medium sizes properties who would have seen an increase in their Business Rates in April 2022.

Maximum increases in April 2022
Rateable value (from April 2017) Maximum increase in April 2022
£20,000 or less 15 percent
£20,001 to £100,000 25 percent

Transitional relief for 2017 to 2022

There's a cap on the amount your bill can go up or down after the 2017 revaluation. The cap amount depends on both:

  • the rateable value of your property
  • whether your bill is increasing or decreasing as a result of revaluation.

Following the April 2017 rateable value, the maximum increases and decreases between 2017 and 2021 are:

Year Rateable value Maximum increase Maximum decrease
April 2021 £20,000 or less 15 percent 55 percent
£20,001 to £100,000 25 percent 25 percent
Over £100,000 6 percent 4.8 percent
April 2020 £20,000 or less 15 percent 55 percent
£20,001 to £100,000 25 percent 25 percent
Over £100,000 16 percent 5.8 percent
April 2019 £20,000 or less 10 percent 35 percent
£20,001 to £100,000 20 percent 20 percent
Over £100,000 49 percent 5.9 percent
April 2018 £20,000 or less 7.5 percent 30 percent
£20,001 to £100,000 17.5 percent 15 percent
Over £100,000 32 percent 4.6 percent
April 2017 £20,000 or less 5 percent 20 percent
£20,001 to £100,000 12.5 percent 10 percent
Over £100,000 42 percent 4.1 percent

All percentages are subject to a 2 percent allowance for inflation.

At the end of each financial year the amount of transitional relief gradually reduces until you're charged the full amount of Business Rates. Transitional relief is awarded automatically and will show on your bill.

We compare your Business Rates in the current financial year with what you were charged in the previous financial year. If the difference is greater than the limits detailed on this page, an amount is either added or taken away from your bill. This is described on your bill using the following terms:

  • Notional Charge: Business Rates for the current financial year before any reliefs are applied
  • Base Liability: Business Rates for the previous financial year before any reliefs were applied
  • Appropriate Fraction: the percentage figure by which your Business Rates bill is allowed to increase or decrease plus a figure for inflation
  • Transitional Limited Adjustment: amount of Business Rates you can be charged after transition has been applied
  • Transitional Adjustment: amount of transitional relief either added or taken away from your Business Rates charge.

Supporting small businesses scheme for 2017 to 2022

Small businesses will not see their bill increase by more than £50 a month (£600 a year) if they lost Small Business Rate Relief following the 2017 revaluation.

This discount is applied automatically to eligible Business Rates bills and will continue for 5 years. Yearly increases of Business Rates bills will be capped at £600 per year for eligible businesses. This discount will end:

  • when your bill reaches the amount you would have paid without the scheme
  • if the property falls vacant.

Local discretionary relief scheme for 2017 to 2021

The Local Discretionary Relief scheme discount supported small to medium sized businesses who saw increases in their Business Rates because their rateable values went up in April 2017.

This scheme ran for 4 years between April 2017 and March 2021. The eligibility criteria that to be met was:

  • an increase in your rateable value on 1st April 2017 due to revaluation
  • an increase in amount of Business Rates charged between 2016/17 and 2017/18 of £50 or more
  • the 2017 rateable value of your property was £100,000 or below
  • you occupied the property on 31st March 2017 and 1st April 2017.

Discretionary relief was not be available to businesses that:

  • did not directly provide employment; including advertising signs, communication masts, car parks and ATMs
  • related to public funded bodies; including those owned by Bury Council, hospitals, doctor's surgeries and schools
  • any award would be likely to exceed the state aid limits which were in force at the time.
Local Discretionary Relief scheme discounts
Financial year Amount of local discretionary relief
2017/18 90 percent of the amount business rates increased by in 2017/18 from the previous year
2018/19 25 percent of the amount business rates increased by in 2018/19 from the previous year
2019/20 17 percent of the amount business rates increased by in 2019/20 from the previous year
2020/21 3 percent of the amount business rates increased by in 2020/21 from the previous year, with a minimum award of £40

The discount will end:

  • when your bill reaches the amount you would have paid without the scheme
  • if you stop being liable for Business Rates
  • if the property falls vacant.