At the Autumn Statement on 17 November 2022 the Chancellor announced the introduction of a new business rates relief scheme for retail, hospitality and leisure properties worth around £2.1 billion in 2023/24. This will support the businesses that make our high streets and town centre’s a success and help them to evolve and adapt to changing consumer demands.
The 2023/24 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Rates Relief scheme will provide eligible, occupied, retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a 75% relief, up to a cash cap limit of £110,000 per business.
Which properties will benefit from relief?
Hereditaments which benefit from the relief will be those which for a chargeable day in 2023/24:
a. meets the eligibility criteria,
and
b. the ratepayer for that chargeable day has not refused the relief for the eligible hereditament. The ratepayer may refuse the relief for each eligible hereditament anytime up to 30 April 2024. The ratepayer cannot subsequently withdraw their refusal for either all or part of the financial year.
Local authorities should make it clear in their approved scheme that, for the purposes of section 47 of the 1988 Act, hereditaments where the ratepayer has refused the relief are outside of the scheme and outside of the scope of the decision of which hereditaments qualify for the discount and are therefore ineligible for the relief.
How much relief will be available?
Subject to the £110,000 cash cap per business, the total amount of government-funded relief available for each property for 2023/24 under this scheme is:
a. For chargeable days from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, 75% of the chargeable amount.
For access to the scheme guidance in full, including the list of eligible Hereditaments and important information regarding Subsidy, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-rates-relief-202324-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-scheme-local-authority-guidance/business-rates-relief-202324-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-scheme