Business rates relief

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Freeports relief

A freeport is an area in which businesses are given a range of benefits to support the local economy.

If your business is based in a freeport you could qualify for business rates relief.

Eligibility

The freeports are:

  • East Midlands Freeport

  • Freeport East in Felixstowe and Harwich

  • Humber Freeport

  • Liverpool City Region Freeport

  • Plymouth and South Devon Freeport

  • Solent Freeport

  • Teesside Freeport

  • Thames Freeport

You must have either:

  • started your business in the freeport or moved there after the freeport was set up

  • expanded your business in the freeport after the freeport was set up - for example, if you built an extension, took on new rooms or bought a new property in the freeport

Contact your local council if you’re not sure whether your business is based in a freeport.

What you’ll get

Your local council works out how the relief is applied.

You’ll usually get the full amount of relief and will not need to pay business rates on your property if you:

  • started your business in the freeport or moved there after the freeport was set up

  • expanded your business into the property after the freeport was set up

You’ll usually get a discount on your business rates bill if your business was in the property before the freeport was set up and you:

  • extended the property after the freeport was set up - for example, you built an extension or took on new rooms within the property

  • improved a room or area within the property so that you could use it for the first time after the freeport was set up - for example, if you improved access or made fire safety improvements

Your local council decides what discount you’ll get on your business rates bill. It’s usually based on how much the rateable value of the property has changed because of your extension or improvements.

How long you’ll get freeports relief for

You’ll get freeports relief for 5 years, starting from the day you first got it.

How to get freeports relief

Contact your local freeport to:

  • check whether it offers business rates relief

  • check if you’re eligible for it

  • find out how to get it

Contact your local council to check if you can get any other types of business rates relief on top of freeports relief.

If your freeports relief stops, contact the council to find out why.

If your circumstances change

Report changes to make sure you’re paying the right amount and do not get a backdated increase in your bill or overpay.

Contact your local council if:

  • your property becomes empty

  • you get another property

  • you make any changes to your property that would increase its value - for example, extending or renovating it
  • the nature of your business changes or it moves to different premises

The amount of freeports relief you’re eligible for may change. For example, it may increase if you’ve extended your property and the rateable value of your property has increased.

You’ll usually need to pay your new rate starting from the day your circumstances changed.

Check which changes in circumstance you need to report to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).

If you think you should be getting freeports relief but are not

Contact your local council if you’re not getting freeports relief and you think you’re eligible for it.

If you’re not eligible for freeports relief

You may be eligible for another type of business rate relief. For example, if:

Check what other reliefs you may be eligible for.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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