Mandatory rate relief
Business rates relief for not-for-profit organisations
Who qualifies for this relief?
An organisation that was not established or conducted for profit.
Typically, these organisations will be:
- sports or recreation clubs without charitable status
- village halls
- theatre and arts organisations
The premises used by the organisation should either be:
- all or part of it is occupied for the purposes of one or more institutions or other organisations. None of these are established or conducted for profit. Each of their main objects are charitable or are otherwise philanthropic or religious. They can be concerned with education, social welfare, science, literature or the fine arts
- wholly or mainly used for purposes of recreation. All or part of it is occupied for the purposes of a club, society or other organisation not established or conducted for profit.
How much mandatory relief do I receive?
You can't claim any mandatory relief.
Can I claim discretionary relief?
Yes. If discretionary relief is granted, you will receive relief to the value of 50% of your bill.
Applicants must explain how their organisation's use of the property contributes to the council's vision for the borough.
Membership must be open to all sections of the local community. This is unless legitimate restrictions apply.
The premises must be wholly or mainly used by the rate payer. Or by the ratepayer and other not-for-profit organisations.
What evidence should I provide to support my application?
You can find details of the evidence required in the council's discretionary scheme guidance (PDF) [244KB] - section 2.2