12-month business rates holiday
All retail, hospitality and leisure business in the UK will receive a business-rates holiday for the 2020 to 2021 tax year regardless of their size.
The types of businesses that qualify is widely defined and would include those providing goods and services such as:
- Food shops – butchers, grocers etc
- Stationery shops and post offices
- Jewellers
- Charity shops
- Furniture and carpet shops
- Car lots, showrooms, car hire and petrol stations
- Garden centres and markets
- Opticians
- Travel agents
- Hairdressers and beauty salons, including nail bars and tanning shops
- Appliance repair and hardware shops, including tool hire
- Dry cleaners and launderettes
- Restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
- Pubs, bars and takeaways
- Museums and art galleries
- Gyms and leisure centres
- Hotels and guest houses
- Self-catering accommodation
- Caravan parks
- Nurseries
Businesses that would not qualify include:
- Financial services such as banks and payday lenders
- Medical services such as vets, dentists and osteopaths
- Professional services such as solicitors and accountants
- Other services such as estate and letting agents
There’s no need to apply for the business rate holiday – it should given automatically through the council tax bill. Where bills have already been sent out without the holiday applied these should be re-issued as soon as possible.
Cash grants
- UK Businesses operating in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector with properties with a rateable value of between £15,001 and £51,000 will receive a one-off grant of £25,000.
- UK Businesses operating in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector with properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or less will receive a one-off grant of £10,000.
- All UK Businesses, regardless of their operating sector, who currently pay no business rates because they qualify for small business rate relief (SBRR) or rural rate relief (RRR) will also be provided with a one-off grant of £10,000.
There’s no need to apply for these grants – local authorities should be contacting eligible businesses shortly.
Further information
Further guidance can be found on the government websites:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-rates-retail-discount-guidance
Alternatively, please contact me
