Small businesses urged to cut their tax bills

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 30th Jul 2006

Small traders across North Somerset are being urged to make sure that they are claiming any discounts on their business rates.

Under the Small Business Rate Relief scheme, eligible businesses could get up to 50% off their business rates bill.

Yatton Councillor Wendy Griggs (Liberal Democrat) quizzed North Somerset Council's Executive Member for Finance, Councillor Mike Bell, on the subject at this week's meeting of North Somerset Council and highlighted the plight of small traders in village communities across the district.

Mike Bell, who is the Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Weston-super-Mare, said: "Independent traders who find the business rates system unfairly favours big businesses can get some help through the Small Business Rate Relief scheme.

"Businesses not receiving any other form of relief, and with a rateable value of not more than £15,000, can get a reduction in their bill, but many do not know about the scheme. The British Retail Consortium has estimated that as many as a third of eligible traders have not applied for relief.

"Increasingly we see the economy in places like Weston and the surrounding villages dominated by big stores and big business. It is vital that we support our local independent traders in any way that we can."

Cllr Bell has asked council officers to look at ways of boosting claims for the Small Business Rate Relief and to promote other forms of business rate relief available to local traders.

Business rates are collected by North Somerset Council, but the bill is set by central government and the Treasury receives any money collected. According to the Valuation Agency (the government body that assesses the rateable value for business premises), more than 4,000 properties/businesses in North Somerset are eligible for the Small Business Rate Relief scheme.

More information about the Small Business Rate Relief scheme can be obtained from www.mybusinessrates.gov.uk or www.n-somerset.gov.uk