Expanded retail discount scheme
Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors may be eligible for a 75% reduction in their payable business rates during the financial year 2023 to 2024. This scheme has been extended to include the financial year 2024 to 2025.
This is subject to a national maximum amount of relief or cash cap of £110,000 per business for an individual financial year.
The Cash Cap is the maximum amount of relief that a ratepayer can receive across all premises that the business occupies that are eligible for relief in England.
Properties qualifying for relief
Properties qualifying for relief are those wholly or mainly used as:
- shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs, cinemas and live music venues
- assembly and leisure venues, normally used by visiting members of the public. These include sports facilities, gyms, museums, theatres, art galleries, nightclubs, public halls and clubhouses.
- hotels, guest and boarding houses
Properties not qualifying for relief
Properties being used for the provision of the following services will not be eligible for this relief:
- Financial services, for example, banks and building societies
- Medical services, for example, doctors, dentists and vets
- Professional services, for example, solicitors and accountants
- Post office sorting offices
Applying for relief
This type of relief is usually applied automatically and should be reflected in your business rates bill.
However, if your business has not received this relief and you believe you may be eligible, please apply for relief.
State subsidy and opting out
If accepting rate relief means your business will exceed its subsidy limit, it is your responsibility to notify us to have the relief removed from your account.
Businesses receiving Expanded Retail Discount may choose to opt out of this support scheme by notifying us of their request to refuse support.