The Government has confirmed support for hospitality and leisure businesses, including the introduction of a business rates holiday for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England for the 2020 to 2021 tax year. Businesses are eligible for the business rates holiday if they are based in England and the business is in the retail, hospitality and/or leisure sector.
Properties that will benefit from the relief will be occupied and are wholly or mainly being used:
• as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues
• for assembly and leisure
• as hotels, guest & boarding premises and self-catering accommodation
There is no action needed to claim as the relief will apply to the next council tax bill in April 2020.
There are also cash grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. The Retail and Hospitality Grant Scheme provides businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with a cash grant of up to £25,000 per property.
Businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of £15,000 and under will receive a grant of £10,000, while those with a property that has a rateable value of between £15,000 and £51,000 will receive a grant of £25,000.
Businesses need to be based in England and in the retail, hospitality and/or leisure sector to be eligible.
Again, there is no requirement to claim, since local authorities will inform businesses that are eligible for this grant.
The government is also providing a Small Business Grant Scheme funding for local authorities to support small businesses that already pay little or no business rates because of small business rate relief (SBBR), rural rate relief (RRR) and tapered relief. This will provide a one-off grant of £10,000 to eligible businesses to help meet their ongoing business costs.
To be eligible, a business must be based in England, already receive SBBR and/or RRR, and be a business that occupies property.
Local authorities will write to businesses who are eligible for this grant so there is no need to claim.
