Business rates
About business rates
Business rates relief - update 7 March 2024
Business rates are taxes paid on business properties. Use our online form to register a new business.
Business Rates Tax - Voice messages and Texts
Sometimes the Council will use an automated phone and text service to contact business rates customers about their accounts - outbound calls will come from 01493 236114, 01493 236128, 01493 236006 or 01493 236151. Find out how the Council is using this technology to improve communication with our customers.
Small Business Rates Relief Review (SBRR)
We are undertaking a review of business rated properties that are in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR). This is to ensure that the correct amount of relief is being awarded when calculating the business rates liabilities of our business rates customers.
Customers receiving SBRR will be asked by email to complete an online form confirming their entitlement to the relief. If we do not have your email address, then we will write to you by letter.
You can find further information and apply via our Small Business Rate Relief Review form.
Small Business Rate Relief Review (SBRR)
On this page
Why are we undertaking the review?
We are reviewing business rated properties in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR). You can claim SBRR when you occupy a business rated property and the rateable value of the property is less than £15,000. SBRR can only be claimed if you are not occupying more than one business rated property in England and Wales. If you occupy a second property, you will keep getting an existing relief on your main property for 12 months.
In addition, you can keep getting SBRR on your main premises if none of your other properties have a rateable value above £2,899 and the total rateable value of all your properties is less than £20,000.
We know that the majority of businesses will be claiming SBRR appropriately, there are however businesses that are not eligible for this relief and are still claiming it.
We are therefore contacting by email or letter those businesses that are in receipt of SBRR requesting that eligibility to the relief is confirmed by the completion of an online form. Not only will this be a way of keeping our records up to date, it will also allow businesses to notify us if there has been a change in their circumstances.
Please note that if you do not complete the online form within the timescale requested then we will assume you are no longer entitled to SBRR and you will have the relief removed. An additional charge to business rates will become due as a result of the removal.
If you require a paper form to complete then please email compliancerevenues@great-yarmouth.gov.uk requesting a paper version and stating why a webform cannot be completed.
We are dedicated to protecting the public purse and detecting fraud. We take Non-Domestic Rate fraud very seriously and investigate eligibility to reliefs claimed. We would like to thank our business rates customers for their ongoing cooperation throughout this review.
How do I complete the Small Business Rates Review online?
Please confirm your current details by completing the:
SBRR Review FAQs
Great Yarmouth Borough Council are currently conducting a review of Small Business Rate Relief customers. We appreciate that in taking part in this review you may have questions.
To help, we have included the most frequently asked questions that may arise throughout this review period below.
Why have I received this letter?
The Council are reviewing the circumstances of businesses that are receiving Small Business Rate Relief . We are simply verifying eligibility to this relief.
How do I complete the form?
The easiest way to reply to the review is by using the online service. Should a paper form be needed then one can be requested by emailing compliancerevenues@great-yarmouth.gov.uk stating why an online form cannot be completed.
What happens if I don't complete the form?
We will assume that your situation has changed and will remove your discount and you will receive a new business rates bill.
I have already informed the Council of a change in circumstances. Do I need to complete the form?
Yes. Please complete the form by entering all the details of your current circumstances.
What should I do if my circumstances are not covered in the examples above?
If you are still unsure how to complete the form, or your circumstances are not covered, please request a paper form and return it with a covering letter with an explanation of your current situation.
Can I receive my business rates bill by email?
If you sign up to eBilling, your business rates bill will be sent to you by email rather than post, with the following benefits:
- it is easier
- you will receive your annual bill as soon as it is available
- if your circumstances change, you will get your amended bill as soon as it is available
- it saves paper, so is environmentally friendly
- it will help reduce our costs, which in turn will help protect your community's services
- it is free to use
If you have received your bill by email, please read our Business rates explanatory notes 2024/25.
If you would like to sign up for eBilling please read our eBilling terms and conditions and then sign up to eBilling.
Can I view my business rates account online?
Yes you can, using our OPENPortal: My bills and benefits service.
Log in to OPENPortal (opens new window) to access your business rates account with the Council.
If you have not previously used the OPENPortal service, click the Register for an account button and follow the instructions.
How much will I have to pay?
Every business property has a rateable value set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). The value reflects the annual rent the property would achieve on the open market at a set date.
For the 2023 valuation, which came into effect on the 1 April 2023 the set date was 1 April 2021.
Every year the Government sets the multiplier - or the percentage of the rateable value you have to pay in tax. For the financial year commencing 1 April 2024, this has been set as:
- small business non-domestic multiplier - £0.499 pence for properties with a rateable value of up to £50,999
- standard non-domestic multiplier - £0.546 pence for properties valued at £51,000 or above
So, if your property has a rateable value of:
- £10,000 you will pay £4,990 in rates (£10,000 multiplied by £0.499 pence)
- £51,000 you will pay £27,846 in rates (£51,000 multiplied by £0.546 pence)
You can find the rateable value of your business via the GOV.UK Find a business rates valuation (opens new window) service.
You can challenge your business rates rateable value for free. You may choose to appoint an agent to carry out this work on your behalf.
If you choose to appoint an agent, you should be aware that there are a number of business rates agents operating around the country. Please see the GOV.UK: Council Tax and business rates scams (opens new window) page for more information.
How can I pay my business rates?
You can sign up online (opens new window) to pay your business rates by Direct Debit.
Alternatively:
- Pay online (opens new window)
- pay using our 24-hour automated payment line, telephone 01493 846117
You can also pay by standing order. Our bank details are:
Account name: Great Yarmouth Borough Council General Account
Sort code: 20-99-47
Account number: 13775518
Bank: Barclays Bank plc
Branch: 40-42 Market Place, Great Yarmouth, NR30 1LX
Would you like free debt advice? Visit the Business Debtline (opens new window) website for free advice and resources to help you deal with your business finances and business debts.
Can I reduce what I pay in business rates?
Business rates relief - update 7 March 2024
You can apply for small business rates relief if:
- your property's rateable value is less than £15,000 - this changed from £12,000 on 01 April 2017
- you only use one business rated property - however, you may still be able to get relief if you get a second property
If you get a second property will keep getting relief on your main property for a further 12 months. You can keep getting Small Business Rates Relief on your main property after this 12 month period if both of the following apply:
- none of your other properties have a rateable value above £2,899
- the total rateable value of all your properties is less than £20,000
The following assistance may also be available to you:
Where can I find information on the Business Improvement District levy?
You may find the following websites helpful:
What happens if I don't pay my business rates?
If you miss a payment or pay late, we will send you a reminder giving you seven days to pay. If you don't pay the reminder on time, you will be sent a cancellation notice. If you pay at reminder stage, then fall behind again, you will be sent a cancellation notice.
A cancellation notice means that you have lost the right to pay your business rates in instalments and you will have to pay the full outstanding balance within seven days.
If you cannot pay the balance in full, please contact our Customer Services department immediately.
If you fail to pay a cancellation notice, we will issue a summons notice for you to appear in the Magistrates Court. This means you will have to pay any summons costs incurred.
If you don't pay the summons balance in full, the Magistrates Court will issue a Liability Order against you. We will then be able take further recovery action which could involve the use of enforcement agents (we use Rundles (opens new window), Rossendales bailiffs (opens new window) and Jacobs (opens new window)), a bankruptcy order or even imprisonment to recover the money. If you contact us after you have been summonsed, we may be able to come to an arrangement with you.
Do you publish any business rates data?
We often receive Freedom of Information (FOI) requests for information related to business rate accounts.
We now publish spreadsheet data which will be updated at quarterly intervals and covers the most requested information such as:
- property reference
- account name
- property address
- current rateable value
- liability start date
- current valuation description
- relief awarded and start date of this
- gross liability
We have removed accounts relating to individuals and partnerships as this information is exempt under section 40 of the FOIA 2000
Empty property details have been withheld in accordance with Exemption 31(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, as the release of large numbers of empty properties can, and have been attempted to be, used to perpetrate fraud or for other criminal purposes. The public interest in this case is to withhold the information in order to prevent the attempted criminal actions.
Following the Information Commissioner Decision Notice for Wandsworth Borough Council in February 2017 [FS50619844] we do not supply information relating to business rates credits since it is considered that the exemption under Section 31(1)(a) applies as disclosure of the information would be likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime.
Business rates revaluation
Please see our dedicated section about the Business rates revaluation 2023.
Business Rates tax - voice messages and texts
On this page
Sometimes the Council will use an automated phone and text service to contact business rates customers about their accounts. Find out how the Council is using this technology to improve communication with our customers.
Business Rates contact received by voice message or text
We want to do everything we can to prevent our business rate payers getting into arrears on their business rates and to provide help while we collect what is due.
To improve our communication with business rate payers, the Council is running a telephone call and text campaign to contact those that have fallen behind on their business rate payments.
We may therefore send you a voice message or text to remind you about payments that are due or before we take further recovery action on arrears.
This is a free outbound telephone service which will provide you with the opportunity to request links to our website's payment page or a payment arrangement form.
Some of the calls we make will give you the option to speak directly to a member of our Business Rates Team so that you can discuss your account with them. The team member will not be able to take payment from you.
Whilst this service is offered to help prevent business rates payers from falling further into arrears, it should not be relied upon and may not always be available. It remains the responsibility of our business rates payers to make sure that their business rates are paid on time.
Voice Messages
Our business rates outbound calls will come from the following numbers:
- 01493 236114
- 01493 236128
- 01493 236006
- 01493 236151
Text Messages
The text messages are sent by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and will show as GYBC. Some of the texts we send will have links to payment or information pages on our website at www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk.
Protecting your data
We will only contact you on a number that we have on file for you and will not ask you to share any personal data when responding to the automated messages. Any website links we supply by text will be to the website pages of Great Yarmouth Borough Council only.
If you select an option to speak to a member of the Business Rates Team then this will be answered by one of the Council's own staff who will ask you questions to confirm that you are the account holder.
If you are concerned that contact you have received about your business rates account is not genuine then always make payment by visiting our online payment page or calling our automated payment line on 01493 846117.
Online account access
Manage your Business Rates account online and view your bills, payments made and make payment arrangements by visiting our OPENPortal service.