- \n
- You only use a small portion of your home for your business, such as a spare bedroom as an office<\/li>\n
- You sell goods by post<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \r\n \r\n
![\"Worldfirst](\"https:\/\/cdn-brand.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/assets\/images\/WFT_BANNER_326x341.png\"\r\n)
\r\n ![\"Worldfirst](\"https:\/\/cdn-brand.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/assets\/images\/WFT_BANNER_980x150.jpg\"\r\n)
\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \nHowever, the guidance suggests you\u2019ll need to pay business rates if:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Your property is part business and part domestic, for example, if you live above your shop<\/li>\n
- You sell goods or services to people who visit your property<\/li>\n
- You employ other people to work at your property<\/li>\n
- You\u2019ve made changes to your home for your business, for example, converted a garage into a hairdressing salon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You should contact the Valuation Office Agency<\/a> (VOA) to find out if you\u2019ll need to pay business rates for your home business. If you live in Scotland, you\u2019ll instead need to get in touch with your local assessor.<\/a><\/p>\n
- \r\n Do I need permission to run a business from home?<\/span><\/a>\r\n <\/li>\r\n
- \r\n Can I use my home address as my registered office?<\/span><\/a>\r\n <\/li>\r\n <\/p>\n
The VOA or your local assessor will consider a variety of factors, including how you operate your business and if any special modifications have been made to your property to facilitate homeworking.<\/p>\n
Some common examples of homeworkers who will need to pay business rates might include a takeaway restaurant, a nail technician or beauty therapist who has customers to their home for appointments, a personal trainer who\u2019s converted their garage into a gym, or a marketing consultant who employs a team that works from the same home-based office.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to note that Council Tax is classified as an independent payment separate from business rates, and therefore it will still be payable alongside this.<\/p>\n
How to avoid business rates<\/h3>\n
If you run an online business that doesn\u2019t involve converting a large part of your home to facilitate your work activities, then it\u2019s likely you will be exempt from paying any business rates.<\/p>\n
In some cases, depending on the extent of your commercial activity and the size of your workspace, you may be eligible for a reduction. For example:<\/p>\n
Small Business Rates Relief<\/h4>\n
This relief scheme provides discounts or exemptions on business rates for eligible small businesses, including home-based businesses.<\/p>\n
You can apply for small business rate relief if:<\/p>\n
- \n
- your property\u2019s rateable value<\/a> is less than \u00a315,000<\/li>\n
- your business only uses one property – you may still be able to get relief if you use more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\r\n \r\n![\"FREE](\"https:\/\/cdn-brand.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/assets\/images\/242634_Domains_Banner-Cooperation_QCF_325x340_UK.png\"\r\n)
\r\n ![\"FREE](\"https:\/\/cdn-brand.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/assets\/images\/242634_Domains_Banner-Cooperation_QCF_980x150_UK.png\"\r\n)
\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \nThe specific criteria for eligibility can vary by region, but generally, businesses with a low rateable value or those operating from small premises are entitled. Contact your local council to find out if you\u2019re eligible and how you can claim this relief.<\/p>\n
Rural Rate Relief<\/h4>\n
If your home business is in an eligible rural area with a population below 3,000 people, you may be able to claim rural rate relief. For example, if you run a food shop or post office and it is the only one in your village, with a rateable value of up to \u00a38,500, you may be exempt from business rates.<\/p>\n
- \r\n 7 types of business taxes you need to know about<\/span><\/a>\r\n <\/li>\r\n \n
You should contact your local authority<\/a> to see what business rate relief you may be entitled to claim.<\/p>\n
How to register to pay business rates<\/h3>\n
If you need to pay, you will be sent a business rates bill by your local council in either February or March of each year. The amount shown on this bill will include the business rates you owe for the coming tax year. Usually, it can be split into instalments in the same way as your Council Tax bill.<\/p>\n
The amount payable will depend on the rateable value of your property, which is calculated by the VOA. If you think the rate you\u2019ve been assigned could be wrong, you can query this and appeal<\/a>. Your business rates will be paid to your local council, which can be done over the phone, by direct debit, at a Post Office, or by BACS.<\/p>\n
If you are eligible for business rate relief, you should still complete the same application process. While some schemes may be applied automatically, it is always better to confirm and ensure that you receive the appropriate relief.<\/p>\n
Final thoughts<\/h3>\n
Understanding business rates when running a business from home is crucial for home-based entrepreneurs. While in many cases you are likely to be exempt, it is always advisable to check with your local authorities and confirm your rights to exemption or relief.<\/p>\n
We hope this post has helped provide some clarity on business rates for home-based businesses. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we\u2019ll come back to you.<\/p>\n
- your business only uses one property – you may still be able to get relief if you use more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \r\n Do I need permission to run a business from home?<\/span><\/a>\r\n <\/li>\r\n
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