If your organisation is a charity and your property is used wholly or mainly for charitable works and is a registered charity, you are entitled to receive 80% mandatory relief.
If your organisation is not a charity but is another type of non-profit making organisation, you can apply for discretionary rate relief provided you meet the council’s criteria. Your organisation must be charitable, religious, or concerned with education, social welfare, science, literature or the fine arts, or the property must be used by a non-profit-making organisation and used wholly or mainly for the purpose of recreation.
You can also apply for discretionary rate relief as a top-up (up to 20%) in addition to any mandatory relief granted.
We review discretionary relief annually before the end of the financial year by way of a review form that must be completed and returned to us. Each case is reconsidered and may result in relief being extended for another year or not granted for the next year. The amount of relief granted is subject to change each year on review.
Discretionary Relief and Subsidy Control (formerly known as State Aid)
Some business rates relief are a form of Subsidy, the new UK subsidy control regime began on 4 January 2023. The new regime enables public authorities, including devolved administrations and local authorities, to deliver subsidies that are tailored for local needs and that drive economic growth while minimising distortion to UK competition and protecting our international obligations.
Public authorities giving subsidies must comply with the UK’s international subsidy control commitments.
A subsidy refers to a grant, a tax break, a loan, or other form of financial assistance paid from public resources. Business rates discretionary relief and grants to ratepayers is likely to amount to a subsidy. Any relief provided by Local Authorities under these schemes will need to comply with the UK’s domestic and international subsidy control obligations.
The Subsidy Control Act provides the framework for the regime.
Further information about subsidy control (GOV.UK website).
Please note: You are responsible for ensuring that any reliefs are claimed in line with the UK subsidy allowance. Therefore, a business who receives any help under our discretionary policies agree (on a self-assessment basis), to inform us if they are in breach of the subsidy allowances. Any business who received relief should keep necessary documentation to evidence this.
Contact us
Telephone: 020 8545 3751
Email: Business.Rates@merton.gov.uk
You can write to us at:
Business Rates
London Borough of Merton
PO Box No 559
Morden
SM4 5ZY
We are no longer able to attend to personal visitors at the Civic Centre. You can email us anytime or telephone between 9am and 5pm.