PART 6General
Applications for relief
16.—(1) An application for relief under these Regulations must be signed by the ratepayer, or a person authorised to sign on behalf of the ratepayer.
(2) An application under paragraph (1) must be made to the local authority by—
(a)addressing it to the authority, and
(b)delivering or sending it to the authority’s office by post or electronic communication.
(3) For the purposes of this regulation—
(a)“person authorised to sign on behalf of the ratepayer” means, where the ratepayer is—
(i)a partnership, a partner of that partnership or any other person authorised by it,
(ii)a trust, a trustee of that trust or any other person authorised by it,
(iii)a body corporate, a director of that body, and
(b)“sign” or “signed” in relation to an application made by electronic communication means an electronic signature, as defined in section 7(2) of the Electronic Communications Act 2000(1).
Amendment of the New and Improved Property Relief Regulations
17.—(1) The New and Improved Property Relief Regulations are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (4).
(2) In regulation 10 (relief granted – lands and heritages in respect of which a relevant increase has been made within the previous 12 months)—
(a)in paragraph (1), at the beginning, for “The” substitute “In relation to the financial year 2023-2024, the”,
(b)in paragraph (4), at, the beginning, for “2017” substitute “2023”,
(c)in paragraph (5)(b)—
(i)in the formula—
(aa)for “2.247” substitute “X”,
(bb)for “365” substitute “366”, and
(ii)in the description of “BL, ARV and RV” for “BL, ARV and RV” substitute “BL, ARV, RV and X”.
(3) After regulation 10 insert—
“Relief granted – financial year 2024-2025 – lands and heritages in respect of which a relevant increase has been made within the previous 12 months
10A.—(1) In relation to the financial year 2024-2025 the relief granted is that the amount of non-domestic rates payable is to be reduced as set out in paragraph (4) or, as the case may be, paragraph (5).
(2) The amount of relief granted depends on—
(a)whether regulation 7 of the 2024 Regulations applies (transitional relief in the amount of rates payable),
(b)the total amount of any relevant increases made in respect of the lands and heritages taking effect on a day within the previous 12 months (“the reference amount”).
(3) No relief is granted unless an application is made in accordance with regulation 12.
(4) Where regulation 7 of the 2024 Regulations does not apply to the lands and heritages—
(a)the amount of non-domestic rates payable is to be calculated on the rateable value minus the reference amount, but
(b)if the rateable value minus the reference amount is a negative figure, then no relief is granted (and the amount of non-domestic rates payable is to be calculated on the rateable value).
(5) Where regulation 7 of the 2024 Regulations applies, the amount of non-domestic rates payable is the transitional limit calculated in accordance with regulation 9 of those Regulations, and for these purposes the transitional limit is to be calculated—
(a)in respect of the lands and heritages for which the rateable value exceeds the sum of the rateable value on 1 April 2023 and the reference amount, in accordance with the formula—
where—
ARV is the adjusted rateable value, found by subtracting the reference amount from the rateable value of the land and heritages,
BL is the base liability of the lands and heritages calculated in accordance with regulation 10 of the 2024 Regulations,
RV is the rateable value of the lands and heritages on 1 April 2023,
PF is the poundage figure of—
(i)0.559 where the lands and heritages have a rateable value exceeding £100,000,
(ii)0.545 where the lands and heritages have a rateable value exceeding £51,000 but not exceeding £100, 000,
(iii)0.498 where the lands and heritages have a rateable value of £51,000 or less, and
X is—
(i)1.406 where at revaluation on 1 April 2023 the lands and heritages had a rateable value of £20,000 or less,
(ii)1.875 where at revaluation on 1 April 2023 the lands and heritages had a rateable value between £20,001 and £100,000,
(iii)2.406 where at revaluation on 1 April 2023 the lands and heritages had a rateable value of more than £100,000, or
(b)in any other case in accordance with the formula—
where—
BL, ARV, RV and X have the same meanings as in sub-paragraph (a).
(6) In this regulation, “the 2024 Regulations” means the Non-Domestic Rates (Transitional Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2024(2).”.
(4) In regulation 16 (exclusion of relief in respect of parks) after “2023” insert—
“or regulation 15 of the Non-Domestic Rates (Transitional Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2024”.
Amendment of the Non-Domestic Rates (Restriction of Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2023
18.—(1) The Non-Domestic Rates (Restriction of Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2023(3) are amended in accordance with paragraph (2).
(2) In regulation 3(2) (conditions on granting non-domestic rates relief)—
(a)at the end of sub-paragraph (h) omit “and”,
(b)at the end of sub-paragraph (i) insert—
“, and
(j)Regulation 15 of the Non-Domestic Rates (Transitional Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2024(4)”.
Amendment of the Non-Domestic Rates (Transitional Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2023
19.—(1) The Non-Domestic Rates (Transitional Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2023(5) are amended in accordance with paragraph (2).
(2) In regulation 15 (relief for parks or parts of parks previously exempt from rating and becoming rateable on 1 April 2023) for “This” substitute “In relation to the relevant year, this”.
2000 c. 7. Section 7(2) was amended by S.I. 2016/696.
S.S.I. 2023/31, which was amended by S.S.I. 2023/63.