Retail discount
Retail discount 2025-26
For 2025/26 there will be a 40% discount on business rates bills for eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. This discount is subject to a cap of £110,000 per business.
Retail discount 2024-25
Retail, leisure and hospitality businesses can get 75% relief on their business rates bill from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. This relief is capped and businesses can only receive relief up to the maximum limit of £110,000 relief across all eligible business properties.
If you have more than one occupied business property you can get a retail discount on each one that qualifies, up to the £110,000 cap. We will do our best to identify properties where an award of retail discount will mean that they are likely to exceed the cap and remove the discount.
If we have applied the discount but your business has or will exceed the cap level, you MUST tell us to opt out of the retail discount. We will remove the discount and send you a revised business rates bill. If we have removed the discount as we believe you may exceed the cap but you would like to receive it on your property, please contact us and confirm that you will not exceed the cap. We will reapply the discount and issue a revised bill.
You can refuse to receive a retail discount. Please tell us if you want to opt out of the retail discount. We will remove the discount from your account and send you an updated bill with instalments to pay.
Retail discount 2023-24
Retail, leisure and hospitality businesses can get 75% relief on their business rates bill from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. This relief is capped and businesses can only receive relief up to the maximum limit of £110,000 relief across all eligible business properties.
If you have more than one occupied business property you can get a retail discount on each one that qualifies, up to the £110,000 cap. We will do our best to identify properties where an award of retail discount will mean that they are likely to exceed the cap and remove the discount.
If we have applied the discount but your business has or will exceed the cap level, you MUST tell us to opt out of the retail discount. We will remove the discount and send you a revised business rates bill. If we have removed the discount as we believe you may exceed the cap but you would like to receive it on your property, please contact us and confirm that you will not exceed the cap. We will reapply the discount and issue a revised bill.
You can refuse to receive a retail discount. Please tell us if you want to opt out of the retail discount. We will remove the discount from your account and send you an updated bill with instalments to pay.
Retail discount 2022-23
Retail, leisure and hospitality businesses can get 50% relief on their business rates bill from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. This relief is capped and businesses can only receive relief up to the maximum limit of £110,000 relief across all eligible business properties.
If you have more than one occupied business property you can get a retail discount on each one that qualifies, up to the £110,000 cap. We will do our best to identify properties where an award of retail discount will mean that they are likely to exceed the cap and remove the discount.
If we have applied the discount but your business has or will exceed the cap level, you MUST tell us to opt out of the retail discount. We will remove the discount and send you a revised business rates bill. If we have removed the discount as we believe you may exceed the cap but you would like to receive it on your property, please contact us and confirm that you will not exceed the cap. We will reapply the discount and issue a revised bill.
You can refuse to receive a retail discount. Please tell us if you want to opt out of the retail discount. We will remove the discount from your account and send you an updated bill with instalments to pay.
Properties that will be considered for a retail discount
Properties that are being used for the sale of goods to visiting members of the public:
- shops (like florists, bakers, butchers, grocers, greengrocers, jewellers, stationers, off licences, chemists, newsagents, hardware stores, supermarkets)
- charity shops
- opticians
- Post Offices
- furnishing shops or display rooms (like carpet shops, double glazing, garage doors)
- car or caravan show rooms
- second hand car lots
- markets
- petrol stations
- garden centres
- art galleries (where art is for sale or hire).
Properties that are being used to provide the following services to visiting members of the public:
- hair and beauty services (like hairdressers, nail bars, beauty salons, tanning shops)
- shoe repairs/ key cutting
- travel agents
- ticket offices (for example, for theatre)
- dry cleaners
- launderettes
- PC, TV or domestic appliance repair
- funeral directors
- photo processing
- tool hire
- car hire
- employment agencies
- estate agents and letting shops
- betting shops.
Properties that are being used for the sale of food and/or drink to visiting members of the public:
- restaurants
- takeaways
- sandwich shops
- coffee shops
- pubs
- bars.
Properties that are being used as cinemas.
Properties that are being used as live music venues:
- properties that are wholly or mainly used for the performance of live music for the purposes of entertaining an audience
- properties can be a live music venue even if they are used for other activities, as long as those other activities are secondary to the performance of live music (for example, the sale of alcohol to audience members)
- properties can still get a discount if they are used infrequently for other purposes.
Properties that are being used for the provision of sport, leisure and facilities to visiting members of the public (including for the viewing of such activities):
- sports groups and clubs
- museums and galleries
- nightclubs
- sport and leisure facilities
- stately homes and historic houses
- theatres
- tourist attractions
- gyms
- wellness centres, spas and massage parlours
- casinos, gambling clubs and bingo halls.
Properties that are being used for the assembly of visiting members of the public:
- public halls
- clubhouses, clubs and institutions.
Properties used as hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation:
- hotels, guest and boarding houses
- holiday homes
- caravan parks and sites.
Properties that will not be considered for a retail discount
- financial services (like banks, building societies, cash points, bureaux de change, short-term loan providers)
- medical services (like vets, dentists, doctors, osteopaths, chiropractors)
- professional services (like solicitors, accountants, insurance agents, financial advisers)
- Post Office sorting offices
- event companies
- trade suppliers to the retail, leisure or hospitality industries
- online retailers.
These are not complete lists. If you’re unsure if your business is eligible for a retail discount, please contact us.