How to contact us about your Business Rates
By telephone:
contact the Business Rates Team on tel 0191 6432365
By email:
send an email to business.rates@northtyneside.gov.uk
By letter to:
NNDR / Revenues, Quadrant, The Silverlink North, Cobalt Business Park, North Tyneside, NE27 0BY
Small business rate relief
Open Small business rate relief configuration options
If you run a small business, you could get help to pay your bills with small business rate relief.
If you continue to meet the conditions for small business rate relief (which apply at the time, to the property and the ratepayer) you'll automatically continue to receive this in each new valuation period.
Apply online for small business rate relief by completing the application form via the button below.
Business Rate Relief Application
If you have a change in circumstance you need to notify us straight away.
You must tell us if:
- your property becomes vacant
- you take occupation of an additional property that you did not occupy when you applied for relief
- there is an increase in the rateable value of an occupied property in another area than the local authority which granted the relief
Revenues and benefits service
Non-Domestic Rating: Small Business Rate Relief (SBR) Guidance. For the Valuation Periods 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2023 and 1 April 2023 onwards.
This relief can currently be applied for and in most circumstances can be backdated if appropriate to do so. If eligibility is established, the relief can be backdated to 1 April 2012.
The ratepayer must inform the Council of certain changes in circumstances (ie. the occupation of additional commercial premises in England or a rateable value increase on any additional premises).
The relief is only available to ratepayers who have either:
- One business property with a rateable value of no more than £14,999 or
- One main business property and other additional properties providing those additional properties have rateable values less than £2,900 and the total value of all the properties is not more than £19,999
The relief can only be claimed for one property and this property must be being used for business purposes (ie. occupied).
Businesses that take on an additional property which would normally have meant the loss of small business rate relief, will now be allowed to keep that relief for a period of 12 months.
Ratepayers who qualify are awarded the relief based on their rateable value (RV) as follows:
- RVs of £12,000 or less get 100% relief of the full amount payable & the smaller multiplier applies. Therefore rates liability is nil.
- RVs £12,001 – £14,999 get relief on a sliding scale (lose 1% relief for every £30 RV above £12,000) & the smaller multiplier applies.
- RVs £15,000 - £50,999 don’t get any relief but the smaller multiplier automatically applies (no application is necessary).
Full guidance notes are included with the application form
Supporting small business relief
Open Supporting small business relief configuration options
You will automatically qualify for supporting small business relief from 1 April 2023 onwards if both of the following conditions apply:
- your business property's bill has gone up due to the 2023 revaluation
- you have lost some or all of your small business rate relief
If you are eligible, your bill will increase by no more than £600 for the 2023/24 financial year and then by no more than a further £600 for the 2024/25 financial year.
Charity and other organisations
Open Charity and other organisations configuration options
Charities and registered Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) are entitled to 80% rate relief when the property is occupied by the charity or club and is wholly or mainly used for charitable or club purposes.
We have discretion to give further rate relief on the remaining bill and give relief to non-profit making organisations.
Apply online for charitable relief by completing the business rates relief application form via the button below.
Business Rates Relief application
Hardship rate relief
Open Hardship rate relief configuration options
We consider applications for rate relief from ratepayers who would suffer hardship without it, but we must give consideration to the interests of our Council Tax payers.
Prior to making an official application for hardship rate relief, please contact the Council's Business Team on telephone 0777 9303805 in order to discuss your options. For general business rate enquiries however (as opposed to hardship rate relief) please use the contact details shown at the top of this page in order to reach the Business Rates Team.
You could be eligible if:
- your business is based in North Tyneside
- you employ at least five staff
- you have a rateable value of £15,000 or more
- you can demonstrate current hardship
- you can demonstrate medium to long-term viability
- UK subsidy control obligations apply which includes a ceiling on the overall assistance from public bodies
We'll give preference to businesses operating in sectors of importance to the Borough's or the regional economy.
Unoccupied properties
You don't have to pay Business Rates for the first three months that a property is empty. This is extended to six months in the case of certain industrial properties.
After this period, you must pay rates in full.
There are also exemptions from the empty property rate. If your property is empty and falls into one of the following categories, you will be exempt from paying business rates:
- a property empty less than 3 months
- a property with rateable value under £2,900
- a qualifying industrial property empty less than 6 months
- an ancient monument
- a listed building
- a property where occupation is prohibited by law
- a property kept empty by action of Crown or public authority
- a property where the owner is bankrupt
- a property where the owner is a trustee under a deed of arrangement
- a property where the owner is entitled to possession as a liquidator
- a property whose owner is entitled to possession only in his capacity as the personal representative of a deceased person
- a property whose owner is a company in administration
- a property whose owner is a company which is subject to a winding up order
A ratepayer is liable for the full non-domestic rate whether a property is wholly occupied or only partly occupied. Where a property is partly occupied for a short time, we have the discretion in certain cases to award relief in respect of the unoccupied part (see below).
Apply online for empty relief by completing the business rates relief application form via the button below.
Business Rates Relief application
Partly occupied property
Where a property is partly occupied for a short time, we may be able to award a reduction in respect of the unoccupied part.
Improvement relief
If you make certain improvements to your property which are completed after 1 April 2024, you may get relief from higher business rates bills. The relief will be applied to your bills for up to 12 months from the date that the improvement works were completed.
You do not need to apply for improvement relief or do anything differently. If you meet the necessary requirements, North Tyneside Council will apply the relief to your bills.
You can find out more about which improvements are eligible by going to the GOV.UK website and searching ‘business rates reliefs’.
If you have questions about a certificate of qualifying works, please contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) at the email address on your certificate. Please note, however, that the VOA cannot answer queries about the occupation condition or your business rates bill itself.
Improvement relief - Customer Q&A:
What is improvement relief?
- Improvement relief supports businesses who have invested in their property.
- It provides relief from higher business rates bills, where the increase in your bill was due to making certain improvements to your property.
- The relief lasts for 12 months from when the improvement works were completed.
Who is eligible for improvement relief? Do I need to apply for it?
- You do not need to apply for improvement relief or do anything differently.
- Your local council will apply the relief to your bills if you are eligible.
- To be eligible for improvement relief, you must have qualifying improvement works, and meet the occupation condition.
- For more information, go to GOV.UK and search ‘business rates relief’.
How does improvement relief work?
- You will receive a certificate from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) if you have qualifying works. The VOA will give the same information to your local council.
- Your council will apply the relief and send you a revised bill if they are satisfied that you meet the occupation requirements. This means that you have occupied the property during and after the improvement works.
I have received a certificate from the VOA – what does this mean?
- If you have received a certificate of qualifying works from the VOA, this means that you may be eligible for improvement relief.
- Improvement relief provides relief from higher business rates bills, where the increase in your bill was due to making certain improvements to your property.
- The VOA will send this information to your local council.
- Your local council will apply the relief to your business rates bill if you also meet the occupation condition.
I think my certificate for improvement relief is wrong. Who should I contact?
- The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) values qualifying works and issues certificates to ratepayers.
- There is no right of appeal against the certified values, however, you should let the VOA know if you think there is something wrong with your certificate.
- You can contact the VOA using the email address on your letter.
Where can I find out more information about improvement relief?
- To find out more about improvement relief, go to GOV.UK and search ‘business rates relief’.