Improvement relief

• Improvement relief supports businesses who have invested in their property.
• It provides relief from higher business rates bills, where the increase in your bill was due to making certain improvements to your property.
• The relief lasts for 12 months from when the improvement works were completed.

• You do not need to apply for improvement relief or do anything differently.
• Your local council will apply the relief to your bills if you are eligible.
• To be eligible for improvement relief, you must:
  (a) have qualifying improvement works, and
  (b) meet the occupation condition.

For more information, go to www.gov.uk and search 'business rates reliefs'.

• You will receive a certificate from the Valuation Office Agency if you have qualifying works. The Valuation Office Agency will give the same information to your local council.
• Your council will apply the relief and send you a revised bill if they are satisfied that you meet the occupation requirements. This means that you have occupied the property during and after the improvement works.

• If you have received a certificate of qualifying works from the Valuation Office Agency, this means that you may be eligible for improvement relief.
• Improvement relief provides relief from higher business rates bills, where the increase in your bill was due to making certain improvements to your property.
• The Valuation Office Agency will send this information to your local council.
• Your local council will apply the relief to your business rates bill if you also meet the occupation condition.

• The Valuation Office Agency values qualifying works and issues certificates to rate payers.
• There is no right of appeal against the certified values, however, you should let the Valuation Office Agency know if you think there is something wrong with your certificate.
• You can contact the Valuation Office Agency using the email address on your letter.