If you invest in certain improvements to your property, you may qualify for relief from higher business rates bills.
You do not need to apply for improvement relief. If you're eligible, you receive the relief for one year from the date you complete the improvements to your property. The council applies the relief to your bill.
Improvements must:
- increase the rateable value of your property
- be completed on or after 1 April 2024
The improvements must also:
- increase the size of your property
- add new features or equipment to your property, such as heating, air conditioning or CCTV
Improvements to existing features or equipment do not apply. You must have occupied the property during and after the improvement works to be eligible for the relief. The relief cannot be passed on to anybody else.
How you receive improvement relief
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) decides how much relief you'll receive based on your property's rateable value and the type of improvements you have made.
The VOA automatically identifies eligible properties and sends a certificate to both the owner of the property and the council, stating:
- the property's new rateable value
- how much improvement relief you'll receive
- when the relief ends
Once the council has received your certificate from the VOA and confirmed you meet all eligibility requirements, the relief automatically gets applied to your bill.
Concerned your VOA certificate has incorrect information?
The VOA decides which improvement works qualify for improvement relief and the amount of relief you receive.
While you have no right of appeal, you can contact the VOA about your concerns via the email address on your certificate or via the Government website.