National Non-Domestic Rates (Business Rates)

Apart from exempt properties each Non-Domestic property has a Rateable Value which is normally set by a Valuer from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), an Agency of the Inland Revenue. The Rateable Value broadly represents the yearly rent the property could have been let for on the open market on a particular date.

The VOA maintain a list of Rateable Values and may alter your property's Rateable Value if the circumstances of the property change.

For the Harborough District the Rating List can be inspected at the Council Offices, the Valuation Office in Leicester or by visiting the VOA website. Further information concerning how Non Domestic premises are valued, how to appeal against your Rateable Value and other information is also available on their website.

The basic calculation of the bill is by multiplying the Rateable Value by the Multiplier which the government sets each year for the whole of England. The multiplier normally cannot rise by more than the level of inflation each year apart from minor adjustments to counteract losses from appeals and in relation to the standard multiplier, to pay for small business rate relief.

From 1st April 2005 there are two multipliers: the standard non-domestic rating multiplier and the small business non-domestic rating multiplier. The former is higher to pay for small business rate relief. The current multipliers for 2009/10 are 48.5p (£0.485) and 48.1p (£0.481)

In many cases the Rateable Value x Multiplier would be the amount payable. However a reduced or increased amount could be payable if transitional relief or transitional premium applies.