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<p>The Chancellor announced at the 2014 Autumn Statement an extra £650 million of
support for 2015-16 bills, bringing the total support of 2013 and 2014 Autumn Statement
polices to £1.4 billion. This help includes:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>doubling
small business rate relief for a further year. In England, this means an estimated
385,000 properties will pay no rates at all, while a further 190,000 properties will
benefit from tapered relief.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>a 2% cap on
the increase of the small business rates multiplier. This is a continuation of the
2% cap introduced in 2014-15 as part of Autumn Statement 2013 measures;</li></ul><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>increasing the temporary £1,000 discount for shops, pubs
and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000 to £1,500 for 2015-16, benefitting
an estimated 300,000 properties in England;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>extending
the existing transitional relief scheme for two years for properties with a rateable
value up to and including £50,000.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These policies
are in addition to previous Autumn Statement measures that continue into 2015-16,
including:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>a 50 per cent discount for 18 months
to new occupants of vacant shops;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>allowing
businesses to keep their small business rate relief for a year where they take on
an additional property; and</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>business rates
relief for empty new builds.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Central Government
also now funds 50% of any local discount granted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Local
authority level data is not yet available for the number of properties that will benefit
from Autumn Statement 2014 measures in 2015-16. However, the attached table shows
the number of hereditaments in 2014-15 that have benefitted from business rates measures
extended in this year’s autumn statement.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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