Money off your business rates
You may be able to pay less in business rates. This is called rate relief.
You can read about rate relief that we give you automatically. You do not need to apply for these discounts:
- exempted buildings and empty buildings relief
- transitional relief if your rates change by more than a certain amount when they are revalued
More information about applying for rate relief
Charities and community amateur sports clubs can get 80% rate relief where their business property is:
- occupied by the charity or club
- wholly or mainly used for the charitable purposes of the charity, or for the purposes of the club
Read more about charitable rate relief.
To apply, email us on [email protected] .
If you are starting up a business or relocating to an enterprise zone, you may get business rates relief.
You could get up to £55,000 a year over 5 years.
You can read about the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise partnership.
You will pay less in business rates if we give you hardship relief.
To get hardship relief, you need to prove that:
- you would be in financial difficulties without our help
- it is in the interests of local people to give you hardship relief
If you think you should get hardship relief, use our online form to contact us to explain why you qualify.
Read more about hardship relief.
Read our hardship relief policy.
You might get improvement relief if you make certain improvements to your property.
If eligible you will get the relief added to your business rates bill for one year starting from when the improvement work is completed.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) will be told if you've made any improvements to your property and will decide if you're eligible for the relief. If you're eligible, they will contact us to make the changes to your bill.
You do not need to contact us.
Find out more about improvement relief and eligibility on GOV.UK.
You may get local newspaper relief if your property is used as an office for journalists and reporters on a local newspaper.
You cannot get local newspaper relief for magazines.
Read more about local newspaper relief.
To apply, email us on [email protected] .
You may get a retail business rates discount if your business is a:
- shop
- restaurant, café, bar or pub
- cinema or music venue
- hospitality or leisure business (for example a gym, spa, casino or hotel)
Read more about retail discounts.
If your business property is in a rural area with a population less than 3,000, you may get rate relief.
To get this, your property must be the only general store, post office, food shop, pub or petrol station in the area, with a rateable value less than certain levels.
Read more about rural rate relief.
To apply, email us on [email protected] .
Depending on the rateable value of your property, you may get a reduction in your rates bill.
Read more about small business rate relief.
Apply
You can also see the help we can give you if you're having difficulty paying your business rates.
Contact the business rates team
If you have a question about rate relief that is not answered on this page, you can contact us for help.