Public contact:
Revenue Section
St Edmundsbury Borough Council
West Suffolk House
Western Way
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 3YU
Phone: 01284 757280 or 01284 757221
Fax: 01284 757298
Email: revenues@stedsbc.gov.uk
Business Rates are payable by people or companies who have commercial (or otherwise non-domestic) properties. St Edmundsbury Borough Council is legally bound to charge rates to the occupier of a property.
Empty properties
If the property is unoccupied the first 3 months are free, then a 50 percent charge is payable on most properties. There are however a number of exemptions from unoccupied rate that pay no charge, examples include:
- property unoccupied for a period not exceeding three months;
- it is a qualifying industrial property;
- rateable value is less than £2200; and
- the property is subject to a building preservation notice.
Business Rates are calculated on a daily basis.The amount on your bill will be the total amount for the full year, taking account of any vacations, changes in occupation, periods of exemptions, empty property relief or refund of credits.
The rate payable is based on two variable factors:
Multiplier
The national non-domestic rating multiplier is the rate in the pound by which, outside the City of London where special arrangements apply, the rateable value is multiplied to produce the annual rate bill for a property. It is set annually by the Government and cannot, by law, rise by more than the amount of the increase in the retail prices index.
Rateable value
All non-domestic properties have a rateable value set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) who are part of the Inland Revenue. The rateable value broadly represents the yearly rent the property could have been let for on the open market on a particular date.
Transitional arrangements
Transitional arrangements help to phase in the effects brought about by each revaluation, whether they are increases or decreases in rateable value. The transitional scheme introduced in England following the revaluation in 2005 makes sure that each Business Rate bill did not change beyond certain limits because of the revaluation. These limits continue to apply to yearly increases and decreases in the following years over the life of the scheme. It will cease when the full amount becomes due, that is rateable value × multiplier.
For Further Information:
You can email or fax us at any time.
Telephone queries can be dealt with between:
- 9am - 5pm Monday to Thursday
- 9am - 4pm Friday
Business Rates enquiries are dealt with at The Revenue Reception at Western Way between:
- 9am - 5pm Monday to Thursday
- 9am - 4pm Friday
For Business Rates appointments are not always necessary, but they are advised. Phone 01284 7577280 or 01284 757221 to make an appointment. Face to face appointments with Business Rates staff are available at the Revenue Reception at Western Way, Bury St Edmunds.
(For the District Valuation Office appointments must be made. Phone: 01473 587800)
