Top uptake in Highland of Small Business Bonus Scheme

7th November 2013

For the sixth year running, The Highland Council has the highest up take of Small Business Bonus Relief in Scotland, with 8,715 local businesses benefitting from a reduction of between 25% and 100% in their rates during 2013/14.

The Scottish Government introduced the Small Business Bonus Scheme in April 2008 to replace the existing Small Business Rates Relief Scheme. Initially the new scheme provided relief to ratepayers with properties in Scotland with a combined rateable value of �18,000 or less. Since the launch it has been expanded and now where the cumulative rateable value of a ratepayer's properties, within Scotland, falls between �18,000 and �25,000, the Scheme will offer 25% relief to individual properties with a rateable value of up to �18,000.

When the scheme was launched in 2008 5,642 Highland businesses successfully applied and over the last five years this has risen to 8,383 last year and 8,715 in 2013.

Councillor Dave Fallows, Chairman of The Highland Council�s Finance, Housing and Resources Committee welcomed the high Highland statistics. He said: �Due to the current challenging economic situation any support and assistance for Highland businesses is an important factor which is why as a council, we are very pro-active when it comes to promoting the Small Business Bonus Scheme. As well as directly contacting new ratepayers when details of their premises are entered on the Assessment Roll, our dedicated team of staff take the initiative and go out and about to speak to ratepayers who may qualify, giving information and helping to clarify if they could qualify for a reduction in their rates. It is a credit to everyone involved that we are leading the way nationally and I encourage any businesses and ratepayers that have not yet taken up their entitlement to get in touch to find out if they too could benefit.�

The Scheme provides the following relief from 1st April 2010:

� Up to �10,000 - 100% relief
� �10,001 to �12,000 - 50% relief
� �12,001 to �18,000 - 25% relief
� Upper limit for cumulative rateable value �25,000* - 25% relief
* This will allow a ratepayer with 2 or more properties with a cumulative rateable value of between �18,000 and �25,000 to qualify for relief at 25% on individual properties with a rateable value of up to �18,000.

Relief can still be claimed for prior financial years so anyone who thinks they meet the qualifying conditions should contact the Non Domestic Rates team on 01463 702984 or visit www.highland.gov.uk to download an application form and return it as soon as possible to the Non Domestic Rates Team, PO Box 5650, Inverness, IV3 5YX.