Business Rates Notes
Business Rates
Self Service
View your information for Benefits, Council Tax and Business Rates online with the self service system. You can also pay Council Tax and Business Rates, and if you are a landlord you can view information relating to your tenants.
E-billing is available at Tameside
A significant number of ratepayers now receive their bills electronically.
If you would like to help the environment and receive your bill on-line please contact us at Business Rates with your email details, also quoting your business rates reference, company name and address
About Business Rates
Businesses and other organisations that occupy non-domestic property pay business rates. Business rates are collected by local authorities and are pooled by Central Government; the rates are then redistributed to local councils according to the number of people living in the area. This money, together with the revenue from council taxpayers and revenue support grant provided by the Government, is used to pay for the services we provide.
- News Items
- Refund Overpayments
- 2011 Multipliers
- Empty Threshold for Exemption
- How it works:
- Relief’s and Exemptions
- Reporting changes:
- How to pay
- Contact us
News Items
Refund Overpayments
From 1 January 2011 any refund of overpayment of business rates will only be processed directly into your bank account. If we do not hold your bank details please contact us on 0161 342 2045.
2011 Multipliers
The small business non-domestic multiplier for 2011/12 is 42.6p
The non-domestic multiplier for 2011/12 is 43.3p
Empty Threshold for Exemption
From 1 April 2011 the empty RV threshold will revert to £2,600. It was £2,200 but temporarily increased in 2009/10 and 2010/11. It has now been uprated from £2,200 to £2,600 in line with the general movement of property values at revaluation.
How it works
The local authority works out your Business Rates bill by multiplying the rateable value of the property by the appropriate multiplier.
Rateable Value
All non-domestic/business properties have a rateable value. This figure is based on a professional assessment of the annual rent of the individual property.
The rating lists that came into effect on 1 April 2010 are based on a valuation date of 1 April 2008 - all properties are valued from the same date to ensure that they are assessed on a level basis.
The VOA gathers as much evidence as possible about actual rents paid for properties in order to determine appropriate rental values.
The rateable value of your property is not the amount you pay in business rates, but it is the basis for the calculation of your business rates bill.
The Council calculates this bill by multiplying your rateable value by a factor set by the Government each year, this is known as the multiplier.
Want to check your rateable value?
View the Valuation Office Agency website www.voa.gov.uk 
View information on the 2010 Revaluation
Multiplier
Central Government set two national non-domestic rate multipliers for each financial year for the whole of England. By law, the multipliers cannot increase or decrease by more than the rate of inflation, except in the year of a revaluation when it is set at a level which will keep the total amount raised in rates after the revaluation the same as before, plus inflation for that year.
From 1 April 2005 there are two national non-domestic multipliers; the standard multiplier and the small business multiplier. The former is higher to pay for small business rate relief.
Transitional arrangements
When a revaluation takes place there may be significant changes in your rateable value, due to increases or decreases in property values over the five years preceding the last revaluation.
In order to phase in these changes, a scheme has been put in place that limits either the increase or the decrease in your Business Rates charge after the revaluation has taken place.
These transitional calculations are carried out automatically, if applicable - any changes will be shown on your bill, and will continue to apply each year until the full amount becomes due.
The transitional scheme only applies to the charge based on the property at the time of the revaluation. If any changes are made to the property after the revaluation date, the scheme will not apply to the part of the charge that relates to the increase in rateable value due to those changes.
Appeals
The Valuation Officer may alter the rateable value if the circumstances have changed.
The ratepayer (and certain others who have an interest in the property) can appeal against the rateable value shown in the rating list if they believe it is wrong.
You can get more information on grounds for making an appeal, and on how to make an appeal, on the VOA website at: www.voa.gov.uk or by contacting your local Valuation Office at: David Grace Bsc (Hons) MRICS, Valuation Officer, Non-Domestic Rates Northwest, Valuation Office Agency, 72 Church Street, Liverpool, L1 3AY or telephone 03000 501 501.
If you have appealed against your rateable value, you must still pay the amount on your bill, you cannot withhold payment.
However, if your appeal is successful you can contact the Business Rates Team on 0161 342 2045 and apply for a refund of overpaid business rates, if appropriate.
Rating advisors
Ratepayers do not have to be represented in discussions about their rateable value or their rates bill, and appeals against rateable values can be made free of charge. However, should you wish to be represented, you should be aware that members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation are qualified and regulated by rules of professional conduct designed to protect the public.
Relief’s and Exemptions
Please use the links below to find out about reliefs and exemptions available to qualifying business rate payers.
Small Business Rates Relief
Empty properties
Partly Occupied Property Relief
Charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs
Non-profit Making Organisations
Hardship Relief
Small Business Rate Relief 2011-2012
Following a review, the Government acknowledged that more assistance should be given to small, single property businesses, and consequently introduced the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme (SBRR). Find out more about Small Business Rate Relief.
Unoccupied Property Rate
For the first three months that a property is empty, or six months in the case of industrial property, no business rates will be payable. If a property is still empty at the end of the three or six month period, then business rates will be charged at 100% of the basic occupied business rates. Find out more about unoccupied property exemptions.
Partly Occupied Property Relief
A ratepayer is liable for the full non-domestic rate whether the property is fully or only partly used. Where a property is partly occupied for a short time, in certain circumstances, we can apply to the Valuation Office Agency to award a temporary reduction for the part that is not in use. Find out more about Partly Occupied Property Relief.
Charitable Relief and Registered Community Amateur Sports Clubs Relief
Charities and registered Community Amateur Sports Clubs are entitled to 80% mandatory relief where the property is occupied by the Charity or Club and is wholly or mainly used for charitable purposes or as a Registered Community Amateur Sports Club. The local authority has discretion to give further relief on the remaining bill.
Non-Profit Making Organisation Relief
The local authority has discretion to give relief to Non-Profit Making Organisations. We will judge each individual case on its' merits and in accordance with the Council's qualifying criteria.
Apply for discretionary relief 27.6 KB 
Hardship Relief
Hardship relief is a rate relief which may be awarded at the discretion of the Authority to ratepayers who are suffering financial hardship in payment of their Business Rates. Find out more about Hardship Relief
Reporting changes
We need to know of any changes that may affect the amount of business rates you pay, the most important one being when you move in and out of a property. If you need to notify us of either or both of these changes please complete either/both of the attached forms.
Moving in
If you are moving into a business property in the Tameside area then you will need to register for business rates, please access our moving in form 24.51 KB
Moving out
If you are moving out of a business property in the Tameside area then you will need to notify us or order for us to amend your business rates account, access our moving out form 21.19 KB
How to pay
Payments
You can pay your Business Rates by a number of methods.
Contact Us
Please email us at businessrates@tameside.gov.uk or use the contact details below.
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 Send us a Message |
 Exchequer Services (Business Rates Section) Tameside MBC Council Offices Wellington Road Ashton under Lyne OL6 6DL |
 0161 342 2045
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 0161 342 4416
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