Business Rates (National Non-Domestic Rates) are payable for most non-domestic properties; they are  collected by the Council, paid into a central pool and redistributed to local authorities to pay for services. Some properties are not rateable, e.g. farm buildings, public parks, churches.

The Valuation Office Agency allocates a rateable value for each business property. This represents its open market rental value at the valuation date.  The date is fixed so that all properties are valued at the same point in time - April 2003 for the new Rating List which came into force on 1st April 2005 .

Rates payable are calculated by applying a 'poundage' or 'multiplier' to the rateable value. The multiplier is set annually by the Welsh Assembly Government and for 2008/09 is 46.6p.

Rural Rate Relief

The scheme for Rural Rate Relief ended on 31st March 2007 and was replaced by the Small Business Rate Relief scheme.  

Unoccupied Business Rates Charges

From 1st April 2008 new legislation alters the rates charge to be levied on unoccupied business premises. For full details go to  Business Rates : Charges for Unoccupied Properties

More information about Business Rates, including the new Small Business Rate Relief scheme, can be obtained in the Business Rates Explanatory Notes 2008/09