Understanding your Business Rates bill

We issue Business Rates bills in April each year. If you move into a property part way through the year, we will issue you with a bill for the remainder of the year.

Your bill will include the amount you need to pay.

You can view a copy of the explanatory notes, which provide more information about Business Rates and your bill.

The explanatory notes include information about:

• Business Rates, which we collect to pay for local services
• rateable values, which are set by The Valuation Office Agency to determine your Business Rates bill
• the National Non-Domestic Rating Multiplier, which we multiply your rateable value by to calculate your Business Rates bill
• Business Rates instalments (we usually divide your Business Rates bill for the year into 10 instalments but you can request to pay your Business Rates over 12 months)
• unoccupied property ratings (if a property is empty for three months, or six months if it is an industrial property, we will not charge Business Rates)
• Small Business Rate Relief, which is applicable if your rateable value is less than £51,000 
• Charity and Community Amateur Sports Club Relief (where we can give up to 80% relief to eligible organisations)
• Local Newspapers Relief (where we can give a discount on office spaces that local newspapers occupy)
• local discounts, state aid and hardship relief (we can grant other discounts in specific circumstances)
• rating advisers
• information supplied with demand notices