“Freedom Day” delay not matched by relief extensions for businesses

As widely predicted, on Monday Boris Johnson announced a delay in lifting the remaining lockdown restrictions. Just as predictably, calls for additional help for struggling businesses quickly followed. The fears of businesses, particularly the retail,... Continue reading

Calls for further business rates relief as lockdown extension looks inevitable

The government is facing calls to extend economic support including business rates relief if the 21 June ‘unlocking’ date is delayed, as expected, today. Labour’s Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband has warned hospitality will be... Continue reading

Business rate relief changes after June 30

The retail and hospitality sector will be nervously eyeing up June 30th after planned changes to business rate reliefs come into effect for a post-pandemic restart. In the March budget chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the... Continue reading

Northern Ireland – Rating changes

The rate poundages for the current rate year have been released and can be viewed here. It is not good news for business rate payers with only three councils either freezing or reducing their poundages,... Continue reading

Supreme Court verdict – Hurstwood v Rossendale rates avoidance scheme

Hurstwood Properties & Others v Rossendale BC & Another [2021] EWCA Civ 364 Here the rates avoidance scheme involved granting a short lease of the unoccupied property to a special purpose vehicle (“SPV”), such that... Continue reading

High Court ruling on rates’ mitigation case

A significant recent High Court decision in Public Health England v Harlow District Council [2021] EWHC 909, has sought to provide further clarification on the area of rates mitigation. In an unprecedented step regarding cases... Continue reading