Business that have been affected by COVID-19 can now apply to have their Business Rates bills reduced for the 2021/22 financial year with the release of the new Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF).
In order to apply for the relief, businesses must occupy premises with a rateable value and must have had a business rates bill to pay on 1 April 2021.
Further eligibility criteria include:
- The business must not have been in receipt of Extended Retail Discount (covering Retail, Hospitality and Leisure), the Nursery Discount or the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme for the 2021/22 financial year,
- The property must have been occupied unless closed temporarily due to the government’s advice on Covid-19,
- The business must be able to demonstrate they have been adversely affected by the pandemic and have been unable to adequately adapt to that impact (evidence may be requested to support this),
- The business must not have reached the subsidy allowance limit. More information on this is available on the Derby City Council website.
- The Business Rates payer must not be Derby City Council or one of its preceptors.
More information and full eligibility criteria are available on the Derby City Council website.
Businesses will need to apply for CARF relief regardless of whether they have applied for previous schemes. Applications will need to be made on-line using MyAccount.
The Government have allocated a set amount of funding. In order to ensure distribution is as fair as possible, any possible awards will not be allocated until the application period closes on Friday 11 March.
