It has been a long time since business rates were last revalued, but finally the Government’s Valuation Office published draft new rates on September 30, 2016.
They will come into effect from April 2017, leaving a window for businesses to challenge or appeal their new assessment.
In some cases, it was anticipated that small businesses would see a reduction in their charges because they have been based on 2008 valuations and in some cases businesses will be eligible for transitional relief.
Changes announced in March 2016 mean that small businesses with a rateable value (RV) of below £12,000 will be exempt from payment.
Check your business rate revaluation
Businesses can check their new draft business rates online, but the following are some examples:
In Ipswich, a street close to the town centre containing a mix of restaurants and small, independent retailers, one small retail unit of 100 square metres was RV £5,100 (2005), £7,200 (2010) and the draft RV for 2017 is £9,600.
In a small retail mall in Harwood Road, Fulham, London a small retail unit of 54.6 square metres was RV £16,750 (2005), £17,500 (2010) and has remained unchanged in the latest valuation.
By contrast, a large retail unit of 12,754 square metres in Oxford Street, Westminster, London, has jumped from RV £3,630,000 (2010) to draft RV £5,850,000 in 2017.
There is some suggestion that the valuations have been adjusted to allow for a fairer system for smaller businesses taking into account some years of over payment since 2008.
The chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Mike Cherry last week welcomed the review, especially the possibility of relief for some small businesses, but has also called for more frequent revaluations because there will have been a “big jump between the old valuation and the new one”.
The Local Government Minister, Marcus Jones, said “as we make the system fairer up and down the country, nearly three quarters of companies will see no change, or even a fall in their bills, including 600,000 who from next April will have their bills cut altogether”.
We would urge all businesses to check their new valuation online and to share your views on the impact it will have on your business.