FPB urges small firms to ask for help

Smaller firms stung by high rates can apply for government rebate, organisation claims

Business owners hit by high rates should apply for some of the £200m of relief that goes unclaimed every year, the Forum of Private Business (FPB) has asserted.

Introduced in 2005, the Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) scheme gives businesses based in properties with low rateable values the opportunity to ease the burden of their rates, however the FPB has found that many small businesses eligible for a rates rebate are not aware of the scheme.

A survey by the Local Government Association (LGA), in 2006, found that under half of the UK’s 870,000 small businesses have applied for the SBRR.

The take-up of scheme varies across the country with 79 per cent in the North East, but only 26 per cent in the North West.

In addition, many business-owners paying additional property taxes, including supplementary business rates, as part of the nationwide Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) programme, are seeing few benefits in return.

Nick Palin, finance and administration director at the FPB, said: “Eligible ratepayers must apply for the relief each year. Businesses which have not yet applied for SBRR are running out of time as the deadline for applications this year is 30 September.
The Government needs to do more to promote the scheme to help small firms, which, given the current economic climate, need support more than ever.”