[cma-l] Community Radio Non Domestic Business Rates

[Two Lochs Radio]

We are a not-for-profit CLG, but have always (15 years) been rated as liable for NDR purposes. However, there's no net cost as small business premises get a 100% relief grant towards business rates automatically.

We're in Scotland, but I think there's a similar scheme in England as well - it's called Small Business Rate relief, and I think it applies if your property has a rateable value less tha £18,000, but it may not be 100%. See http://www.slough.gov.uk/business/finance-funding-and-grants/small-business-rate-relief.aspx

Non-domestic rates, as the name indicates, don't apply only to comemrcial businesses - they potentially apply to all non domestic occupants. Last time I checked I think it was the case that only charities automatically qualified for 80%  NDR relief, and while  many councils extended this 100% and to not-for-profit community bodies that was a discretionary extension.

£1,500 a month sounds a huge amount to find - our rates if we has to pay them would only be a few hundred pounds year. Best of luck with your appeal.

Alex
Two Lochs Radio 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ray C 
  To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk 
  Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 5:28 PM
  Subject: [cma-l] Community Radio Non Domestic Business Rates


  Hi guys


  As a community organisation as we all are, we have received some very concerning news just today. We were allowed 100% tax relief up until this year by the local authority, however due to some alleged changes in local government policies which now apparently state that a not for profit local community radio station is now deemed as a commercial operator and this has resulted in us receiving a council tax demand of around £1500 per month, as you can appreciate we literally fell of our chair, all of a sudden the local authority feel that we do not relieve them of any burden and therefore we have to be treated as a commercial entity. Has anyone else had a similar experience? If so how did you deal with such a massive hurdle, what steps could we now take to fight this. The CEO of the local authority here in Slough also uses our service, and the council in general use us to relay a whole host of information day to day to local residents, we are at a loss and have started an appeals process as well as written off to our local MP for assistance.
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