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, with the rest opting for increases.
12-months rates’ holiday (April 2021-March 2022)
As part of emergency support measures agreed by the NI Executive in response to the COVID-19 crisis, specific sectors approved by the NI Executive will receive a full 12-month rates holiday from business rates for the entire financial year of 2021-22.
A process to apply for the removal of the 12-month rates holiday will also be established shortly for businesses which do not want to receive the financial support during 2021-22.
Those business sectors that are expected to receive the rates holiday are listed below:
- Hospitality – including restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, public houses.
- Tourism – including B&Bs and self-catering holiday accommodation (which pay business rates), guest houses, hotels, privately run caravan & camping sites, tourist attractions and facilities.
- Leisure – including cinemas, theatres, leisure centres and facilities, museums, sports premises, sports grounds and associated sport clubs, clubhouses, and music venues.
- Retail and retail services – shops of all types and sizes (excluding retail premises with retail floor space greater than 500m² Net Internal Area (NIA) and which are wholly or mainly used for the retail sale of food and household goods; and all off-licences). Examples of services include hairdressers, barbers, nail and beauty services, fast food outlets, garden centres, travel agencies, car showrooms, auction houses, and clothing, shoe or electrical goods repairs.
- Childcare – children’s day-care and nursery premises.
- Airports – Belfast City Airport, Belfast International Airport and City of Derry Airport.
- Newspapers – premises occupied by local newspaper companies for production purposes.
- Manufacturing – businesses in receipt of Industrial Derating.
A full NI rundown can be found here.