Business rates: Improvement Relief

Improvement relief has been introduced to help address this potential barrier to growth and investment in the tax-base, from 1 April 2024.

What's available through this scheme

The Improvement Relief is intended to support ratepayers investing in improvements to their non-domestic properties which will support their business, by providing relief from a rateable value increase on their business rates liability for a period of 12 months.

The relief is applied by calculating the chargeable amount of business rates for the relevant property as if the rateable value in the list for the day concerned is that rateable value, minus the increase in rateable value attributable to the eligible improvement works.

This will ensure that businesses and other ratepayers are able to start realising the benefits of improvements they make, before their business rates bill increases. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for this relief you must satisfy the following criteria:

• qualifying works must result in a positive change in the rateable value of the non-domestic property to be eligible for relief, and;
• the property has remained occupied and the ratepayer has not changed in the period since the qualifying works commenced

The Valuation Office Agency will determine whether the qualifying works condition is met and the effect of any improvements to a property on its rateable value.

Find out more about the eligibility for this scheme on the Business Wales website (external website)

How to get Improvement Relief

If you think that you are entitled to Improvement Relief, you will need to contact the VOA. The relief will be automatically applied to your bill when the VOA has certified that the qualifying works condition has been met. You will need to continue to pay your bill until an amended bill is issued.

Contact the Valuation Office Agency (external website)