Make sure your business receives the help it's entitled to

Small businesses across the region are being urged to check their entitlement to Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) following changes to rates and eligibility. Increased thresholds for rateable value (RV) also mean some businesses may be eligible for the first time. Once businesses have claimed, and providing they remain eligible, the relief will for now be applied automatically instead of the current need to reapply each year. The call comes from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) which campaigned for SBRR and for automatic rate relief, but the FSB says it will be keeping an eye on what is planned after 2015.

Chairman of the Wessex Region, Ken Moon, said: "We are pleased that at last our small businesses no longer need to keep reapplying for SBRR each year, however the system can be confusing and we have issues regarding increases in business rates following recent revaluations. The increased thresholds will mean that ratepayers with a below average increase in the rateable value (RV) of their property may find that they are now eligible for SBRR. They should apply to their local council as soon as possible after the 1st April to get the relief."

Ratepayers already in receipt of SBRR and still eligible after 1st April, when new RVs take effect, do not have to reapply for the relief. It will continue automatically until 2015, provided their circumstances do not change. For eligible ratepayers with a property with a RV £12,000 and £17,999 should apply to their local council for SBRR and is worth between £84 and £126 a year. However the FSB is will be keeping a watch on what happens in the future.

"The FSB is pleased that more businesses could be eligible for this important support and is delighted that after our efforts to persuade the government it has decided to remove the need to reapply annually. However this is only until 2015 and if you add to this the fact that rateable values have increased and will be rising annually during a transitional period over the next five years, we will need to watch what will be proposed in five years' time," added Mr Moon.

CONTACTS:
Ken Moon, Regional Chairman, Wessex Region - 023 9259 9602
Colin Jamieson, Regional Organiser, Wessex Region (Dorset) 07917 628917
Neil Eames, Regional Organiser, Wessex Region (Hampshire and the Isle of Wight) 07920 846684/ 01425 280080