Overview

This bill automates the payment of mandatory rate relief for small businesses in England. It removes the need for small businesses to apply for this relief, streamlining the process and ensuring they receive the relief automatically if eligible.

Description

The Small Business Rate Relief (Automatic Payment) Bill mandates that the government automatically provide rate relief to eligible small businesses. This relief is defined by section 43(4B)(a) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. Eligibility is determined by the rateable value of the property, as listed in the local non-domestic rating list. The Secretary of State must create regulations within six months of the bill's passage to implement this automatic payment system. These regulations require parliamentary approval. If a business is later found ineligible for all or part of the relief, the billing authority can reclaim the payment. The bill also provides for recovery of mistakenly paid relief. The bill only applies to England.

Government Spending

The bill is expected to increase government spending as it automatically provides rate relief to eligible small businesses. The exact financial impact is not specified in the bill itself; further analysis would be needed to determine the total amount.

Groups Affected

• Small Businesses in England: Potentially benefit from simplified access to rate relief, reducing administrative burden.
• Billing Authorities: Responsible for implementing the automatic payment system and potentially reclaiming incorrectly paid relief.
• The Government: Incurs increased expenditure due to automatic disbursement of rate relief.

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