Shropshire Council
Revenues and Benefits
PO Box 4749
Shrewsbury
SY1 9GH
Tel: 0345 678 9003
business.rates@shropshire.gov.uk
www.shropshire.gov.uk
                   
                                                              Account Ref:
                     
BUSINESS RATES – SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES RELIEF

In the Spring Budget on 9 March 2017, the Chancellor announced that a new scheme of relief would be made available to those ratepayers facing large increases in their rates bills as a result of the loss of some of, or all of, their Small Business or Rural Rate Relief due to the 2017 Revaluation. 

To support these ratepayers, the Supporting Small Businesses Relief will ensure that the increase per year in their bills is limited to the greater of:-

•	A percentage increase per annum of 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 15% and 15% for the financial years 2017/18 to 2021/22 all plus inflation. The base liability on which these percentage increases are based is the 2016/17 rates liabilities after either Small Business or Rural Rate Relief; or
•	A cash value increase of £600 per year (£50.00 per month)

In the first year of the scheme, this means all ratepayers losing some or all of their Small Business Rate Relief or Rural rate Relief will see the increase in their bill capped to £600.00. The cash minimum increase is £600.00 per year thereafter. Ratepayers remain on the Supporting Small Businesses Relief scheme for either 5 years, or until their bill reaches the level they would have paid without the scheme, or until they vacate their property.

It should be noted that this new Supporting Small Business Relief would need to be recalculated should the Rateable Value of the property be amended, or entitlement to other rate reliefs be identified, or if the property became empty.

Your premises have been identified as one that may qualify for this relief.

Awards such as Supporting Small Businesses Relief are required to comply with the EU law on State Aid.  In this case, as part of your application, this involves returning the attached declaration to this authority if you have received any other De Minimus State Aid, including any other Relief you are being granted for premises other than the one to which this bill and letter relates, and confirming that the award of Supporting Small Businesses Relief does not exceed the €200,000 that an undertaking can receive under the De Minimus Regulations EC 1407/2013.

Further information on State Aid law can be found at https://www.gov.uk/state-aid

Yours sincerely

Revenues and Benefits Service Manager
APPLICATION FOR SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES RELIEF	

BUSINESS RATE ACCOUNT NUMBER - 
BUSINESS NAME  - 			
BUSINESS ADDRESS - 

INFORMATION	
This award shall comply with the EU law on State Aid on the basis that, including this award, shall not receive more than €200,000 in total of De Minimus aid within the current financial year or the previous two financial years.  The De Minimus Regulations 1407/2013 (as published in the Official Journal of the European Union L352 24.12.2013).  These regulations can be downloaded at the following site.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:352:0001:0008:EN:PDF	

	Please tick if you would like to claim Supporting Small Businesses  Rate Relief

Please list all previously received De Minimus aid below including the total amount of any other Relief you are being granted.	
Amount of De Minimus Aid	Date of Aid	Organisation Providing Aid	Nature of Aid	

				

Declaration	
I confirm that I am authorised to sign on behalf of              and that                          shall not exceed its De Minimus threshold by accepting this relief.  Warning – it is a criminal offence for a ratepayer to give false information when making an application for Supporting Small Businesses Rate Relief.	
Signature		Name		
Position		Date