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Apply for business rates relief

Find what business rates relief your business may qualify for, how to apply, and how to report suspected fraud.

Business rates changes from 1 April 2026

Find out more about how the revaluation and changes to the business rates multipliers will affect your business rates bill. Read about the 2026 revaluation.

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What is improvement relief?
  • Improvement relief supports businesses who have invested in their property
  • It provides relief from higher business rates bills, where the increase in your bill was due to making certain improvements to your property.

Who is eligible for improvement relief? Do I need to apply for it?

The relief lasts for 12 months from when the improvement works were completed. You do not need to apply for improvement relief or do anything differently. Your local council will apply the relief to your bills if you are eligible.

To be eligible for improvement relief, you must have qualifying improvement works, and meet the occupation condition.

To find out more about improvement relief, go to GOV.UK and search ‘business rates relief’, or visit:

GOV.UK - Business rates relief (external website)

How does improvement relief work?

You will receive a certificate from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) if you have qualifying works. The VOA will give the same information to your local council.

Your council will apply the relief and send you a revised bill if they are satisfied that you meet the occupation requirements. This means that you have occupied the property during and after the improvement works.

I have received a certificate from the VOA. What does this mean?

If you have received a certificate of qualifying works from the VOA, this means that you may be eligible for improvement relief. Improvement relief provides relief from higher business rates bills, where the increase in your bill was due to making certain improvements to your property. The VOA will send this information to your local council. Your local council will apply the relief to your business rates bill if you also meet the occupation condition.

I think my certificate for improvement relief is wrong. Who should I contact?

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) values qualifying works and issues certificates to ratepayers. There is no right of appeal against the certified values, however, you should let the VOA know if you think there is something wrong with your certificate. You can contact the VOA using the email address on your letter.

Where can I find out more information about improvement relief?

To find out more about improvement relief, go to GOV.UK and search ‘business rates relief’, or visit:

GOV.UK - Business rates relief (external website)

Customers in Wales can also find out more information by visiting:

Business Wales - Non-Domestic Rates – Improvement Relief (external website)

How do I apply for business rates relief?

Your business may qualify for business rate relief depending on factors such as what your organisation does, where it is located and the rateable value of your business property.

Does my business qualify for small business rate relief?

Your business may qualify for small business rates relief if:

  • you occupy only one property with a rateable value of under £15,000
  • you occupy one main property with a rateable value of under £15, 000 and other additional properties. Each additional property must have a rateable value of £2,899 or less and the total rateable value of all your properties is £19,999 or less.

The relief is 100 per cent for properties with a rateable value under £11,999. For those properties with a rateable value between £12,000 and £14,999 there is a tapering of the relief and the discount ranges from 100% at £12,000 to zero at £14,999.

Small business rates relief is only available for occupied properties. You must be the ratepayer or a person authorised to act on behalf of the ratepayer to submit an application for small business rate relief.

Your business will not qualify for small business rate relief if:

  • you have not occupied the property
  • you receive mandatory charity relief or rural rate relief
  • you take on any additional properties.

Apply for Small Business Rates Relief

Before filling the online form, make sure you have the following information:

  • your business account name
  • your business rates account number
  • the rateable value (RV) of each of your business properties.

Please note: if you submit false information, you can be fined, imprisoned or both.

Does my business qualify for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief?

In the Autumn Statement on 30 November 2024 the Chancellor announced that the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) Relief Scheme will be extended for one year to 2025/6, retaining the existing eligibility criteria but reducing the level of relief to 40%, up to a cap of £110,000 per business. The relief will be applied automatically to the 2025/6 bill for ratepayers currently in receipt of the relief in 2024/5 Retail Hospitality & Leisure Relief can be applied to occupied properties that meet the following criteria:

They are wholly or mainly being used:

  1. as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas or live music venues
  2. for assembly & leisure; or
  3. as hotels, guest & boarding premises or self-catering accommodation.

More information on the Scheme and examples of properties that may qualify can be found at:

GOV.UK - Business Rates Relief: 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Scheme (external website)

or contact the Business Rates Team at Business.Rates@eastriding.gov.uk
Tel: (01482) 393939

Subsidy cash cap information

In line with the conditions set by the government, a ratepayer may only claim up to £110,000 of support under the 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme for all their eligible hereditaments (a hereditament is any kind of property that can be inherited).

This cash cap applies at a Group company level (so holding companies and subsidiaries cannot claim up to the cash cap for each company) and also to organisations which, although not a company, have such an interest in a company that they would, if they were a company, result in its being the holding company.

Furthermore, the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme is subject to the Minimal Financial Assistance limits under the Subsidy Control Act. This means no recipient can receive over £315,000 over a 3-year period (consisting of the current financial year and the 2 previous financial years).

Covid business grants received from local government and any other subsidy claimed under the Minimal Financial Assistance or Small Amounts of Financial Assistance limit over the 3-year period should be counted.

Therefore, to claim the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief you must not have exceeded either the £110,000 cash cap for 2025/26 or the Minimal Financial Assistance limit of £315,000 over 3 years (including 2025/26).

You do not need to take any further action if you have not received Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief for more than one premises, and you have not received more than the Minimal Financial Assistance limit of £315,000 over 3 years (including 2025/26).

Does my business qualify for rural rate relief?

Rural rate relief is available to businesses located in designated rural settlements. You may qualify for a mandatory 100 per cent relief if you are in a designated rural settlement and your business is:

  • a general store with a rateable value of under £8,500

  • a post office with a rateable value of under £8,500

  • a public house with a rateable value of under £12,500

  • a petrol filling station with a rateable value of under £12,500

  • a food store with a rateable value of under £8,500

If your business doesn’t qualify for a mandatory business rate relief, you may still qualify for a discretionary relief if the rateable value of your business is under £16,500.

Check if your business qualifies for rural rate relief

Before filling the online form, make sure you have the following information:

  • your business account name

  • your business rates account number

Does my business qualify for charitable rate relief?

Registered, and non-registered charities and not-for-profit organisations can apply for charitable rate relief of up to 100% if a property is used for charitable purposes. If you are a registered charity you will automatically qualify for 80% mandatory relief. You can also apply for discretionary relief top up for the remaining 20% charge. If you are not eligible for charitable rate relief, you may still be able to get discretionary relief if you’re a non-profit or voluntary organisation.

Check if your business qualifies for charitable rate relief

Before filling the online form, make sure you have the following information:

  • your business account name

  • business rates account number

  • the full address of your business properties

  • if you are a registered charity, not-for-profit or voluntary organisation, you will need your registration number

  • your written constitution, if you have one

  • your latest audited business accounts unless this is your first year of trading

  • a business plan – this is not mandatory but it can be used if you don’t have audited accounts

  • information about membership fees if fees are charged and the residency of your members

  • if you are a charity shop, information about turnover generated by donated products as opposed to new goods. The percentage of donated goods must be 50 per cent or more to qualify for charitable rate relief.

Does my business qualify for sports clubs rate relief?

Community amateur sports clubs (CASCs) can apply for 80% mandatory relief if they are registered with HM Revenue and Customs. A CASC can also apply for a discretionary ‘top up’ relief of up to 20 per cent.

A sports club that is not registered as a CASC, but is operated on a not-for-profit basis can also apply for discretionary relief.

Check if your business qualifies for sports club rate relief

Before filling the online form, make sure you have the following information:

  • your business account name

  • your business rates account number

  • your written constitution, if you have one

  • your latest audited business accounts

  • a business plan – this is not mandatory but it can be used if you don’t have audited accounts

  • charity registration number if you are a registered charity

  • public liability insurance certificate

  • information about the residency of your members

Can I get business rate relief for unoccupied properties?

If your business property is not occupied, you may still qualify for business rates relief depending on your business.

Properties can be granted an exemption from the payment of business rates for certain periods if they are unoccupied and there are various other discounts and exemptions available.

If a property is empty the following types of exemption are available:

  • if the property has a rateable value under £2,899 or the property is listed, or the property is classified as land. In this case an exemption can be applied for as long as the property is empty
  • if the property has a rateable value of over £2,899 and is an industrial property. In this case a maximum six-month period of exemption can be applied
  • if the property is over £2,899 and is not industrial. In this case a maximum period of three months exemption can be applied
  • in all cases the exemption applies to the property and so if the previous account holder has already used some of the empty exemption then the remaining amount of time is the maximum that can be applied. If all the period of exemption has been utilised then no further exemption is applicable, until the property has been occupied again for at least 13 weeks.

Read more about occupied and unoccupied properties on the billing of business rates page.

How do I contact the business rates team?

If you need further information regarding business rates relief, please contact the business rate team:

How do I report suspected fraud?

Business rates fraud is committed when someone deliberately gives false or misleading information so that they can pay lower or no business rates. It includes:

  • stating that a property is no longer in use and therefore qualifies for a reduction in rates
  • not declaring the location of a business to avoid paying business rates.

You can report suspected fraud anonymously.

Report suspected fraud

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