Ryden’s Head of Rating Moira Walker comments on business rate proposals in the Scottish Budget:
“Small businesses are set to benefit from the business rate regime changes announced in today’s draft budget proposals by the Scottish Government. However, larger businesses will bear the brunt of these new proposals.
The proposals include reducing the business rates poundage or Uniform Business Rate (UBR) for small businesses by 3.7% to 46.6p and extending the small business bonus scheme to give 100% rates relief to premises with rateable values under £15,000.
A further change, again in support of small business, is that the large business supplement has been restricted and will only apply to properties that have a rateable value in excess of £51,000.
Whilst the Scottish Government’s proposals are of huge benefit to smaller businesses in Scotland, larger businesses have been left out of any proposals for reductions in business rates and as such this may deter larger businesses from locating in Scotland.”