Business rates

Non-Domestic Rates (known informally as Business Rates) are a national tax, collected locally by councils. It is charged to the owner or occupier of business properties.

A portion of what we collect is paid to the government and Suffolk County Council. We retain some of the income, as well as a portion of any business rates growth.

Business rates income - together with Council Tax income - is spent on the provision of local services.

The government have published introductory guidance on business rates on their website.

Business Rates Multipliers

Each year, the government set two multipliers:

• the Standard Multiplier for businesses
• the Small Business Multiplier for small businesses

Business rates for a property are then calculated by multiplying its rateable value by the relevant multiplier.

The 2024/25 multipliers are:

	Standard Multiplier	Small Business Multiplier
2024/25	54.6p	49.9p

We also publish business rates multipliers from previous years.

Business rates data

We have previously published a large amount of information in relation to Business Rates. Following a review, we've decided this information will no longer be disclosed either on our website or in response to Freedom of Information requests.

We consider these categories of data held by Babergh District Council to be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act):

• Business name
• Correspondence address and contact details
• Liability start date
• All information relating to exemptions and reliefs

In making this decision we have had regard to the Appeal Decision of the Information Rights First-tier Tribunal - (Appeal Reference Number: EA/2018/0033) (Re Westminster) and the Information Rights First-tier Tribunal – Appeal Reference Number: EA/2018/0055 (Re Sheffield).

In these cases, the Tribunal found that information relating to empty properties, the business name, dates of occupation/vacancy and actual annual rates charged engaged the exemptions at section 31, 40(2) and 41 of the Act.

Available information

The following information is already available in the public domain via the Valuation Office Agency:

• Property reference
• Description of the property (e.g. ‘Hall and Premises' ‘Store and Premises etc.)
• Property address (with any personal data removed)
• Current rateable value
• Current rateable value effective date

For more information on finding business rates valuations, visit the Valuation Office Agency.