news today about rates rises for small businesses

[Vicky]

I'm watching small shop owners in small villages saying they will have
to close as the rates rises mean they can no longer afford to run the
shop and I wondered about a TI on this. There is still the village
shop and PO, isn't there? As well as the farm shop and tearoom? Will
it affect them? What about the pub?

[Mike McMillan]

Post by Vicky
I'm watching small shop owners in small villages saying they will have
to close as the rates rises mean they can no longer afford to run the
shop and I wondered about a TI on this. There is still the village
shop and PO, isn't there? As well as the farm shop and tearoom? Will
it affect them? What about the pub?

Plenty of potential for the S.W's to make a hash of the whole subject
there.....

[krw]

Post by Mike McMillan

Post by Vicky
I'm watching small shop owners in small villages saying they will have
to close as the rates rises mean they can no longer afford to run the
shop and I wondered about a TI on this. There is still the village
shop and PO, isn't there? As well as the farm shop and tearoom? Will
it affect them? What about the pub?

Plenty of potential for the S.W's to make a hash of the whole subject
there.....

As a community asset they may have registered the shop / PO as a charity
as it is not profitable and so will not be liable to rates. Pub
definitely liable - but I am not sure public house rates are likely to
go up much as it based on the rental value and the market is not strong.

Farms have some sort of different treatment - but frankly even I am
ignorant on that front.

[Chris McMillan]

Post by krw

Post by Mike McMillan

Post by Vicky
I'm watching small shop owners in small villages saying they will have
to close as the rates rises mean they can no longer afford to run the
shop and I wondered about a TI on this. There is still the village
shop and PO, isn't there? As well as the farm shop and tearoom? Will
it affect them? What about the pub?

Plenty of potential for the S.W's to make a hash of the whole subject
there.....

As a community asset they may have registered the shop / PO as a charity
as it is not profitable and so will not be liable to rates. Pub
definitely liable - but I am not sure public house rates are likely to
go up much as it based on the rental value and the market is not strong.
Farms have some sort of different treatment - but frankly even I am
ignorant on that front.

Oh yes they are. Have just had my ear bent on this by someone who running
as a not for profit has been paying (I think) 20%, and the authority are
suddenly trying to nobble 100% council tax.

Not my charity fortunately so I sidestepped the conversation.

Sincerely Chris

[krw]

Post by Chris McMillan
Oh yes they are. Have just had my ear bent on this by someone who running
as a not for profit has been paying (I think) 20%, and the authority are
suddenly trying to nobble 100% council tax.

Then the charity has not done its homework or has a council that needs
to be brought up short. Councils may grant charities rates relief and
most do - but they need to be properly registered as a charity.

[Fenny]

Post by krw

Post by Chris McMillan
Oh yes they are. Have just had my ear bent on this by someone who running
as a not for profit has been paying (I think) 20%, and the authority are
suddenly trying to nobble 100% council tax.

Then the charity has not done its homework or has a council that needs
to be brought up short. Councils may grant charities rates relief and
most do - but they need to be properly registered as a charity.

Charities don't pay council tax. As KRW says, they are eligible for
reduced rates. But then, given how many charity shops there are in
some high streets, the councils may up the amount they're charging to
cover the costs of services in the town centres.

[Chris McMillan]

Post by krw

Post by Chris McMillan
Oh yes they are. Have just had my ear bent on this by someone who running
as a not for profit has been paying (I think) 20%, and the authority are
suddenly trying to nobble 100% council tax.

Then the charity has not done its homework or has a council that needs
to be brought up short. Councils may grant charities rates relief and
most do - but they need to be properly registered as a charity.

Oh it is, for best part of 40 years. But not always in the same rooms.
Why he was bending my ear I have no idea. For all I knew he could have had
them rent free being on an educational campus. He knows what I do, maybe
he thinks we operate in a like manner (we don't have a British office).

As an aside did student dorter have anything to do with a course devoted to
theatre and deaf people at Bulmershe?

Sincerely Chris

[krw]

Post by Chris McMillan
As an aside did student dorter have anything to do with a course devoted to
theatre and deaf people at Bulmershe?

Honestly no idea. She may have done but I do not remember being told
about it. I shudder to think how many years ago it was she graduated!
She is 34 so she graduated 9 or 10 years ago!

[Chris McMillan]

Post by krw

Post by Chris McMillan
As an aside did student dorter have anything to do with a course devoted to
theatre and deaf people at Bulmershe?

Honestly no idea. She may have done but I do not remember being told
about it. I shudder to think how many years ago it was she graduated!
She is 34 so she graduated 9 or 10 years ago!

More likely have seen their productions, if anything. It was Mike's
involvement with sound effects and students in general, plus this special
course, plus making the campus accessible with the hearing loop systems
that brought the specific disability to my notice, and this chap has always
been interested in how Mike did what he did. He's been getting Mike into
his various charitable schemes for decades! He's an older man with the
energy of a five year old is how colleagues describe him.

Sincerely Chris

[Peter Percival]

Post by Chris McMillan

Post by krw

Post by Mike McMillan

Post by Vicky
I'm watching small shop owners in small villages saying they will have
to close as the rates rises mean they can no longer afford to run the
shop and I wondered about a TI on this. There is still the village
shop and PO, isn't there? As well as the farm shop and tearoom? Will
it affect them? What about the pub?

Plenty of potential for the S.W's to make a hash of the whole subject
there.....

As a community asset they may have registered the shop / PO as a charity
as it is not profitable and so will not be liable to rates. Pub
definitely liable - but I am not sure public house rates are likely to
go up much as it based on the rental value and the market is not strong.
Farms have some sort of different treatment - but frankly even I am
ignorant on that front.

Oh yes they are. Have just had my ear bent on this by someone who running
as a not for profit has been paying (I think) 20%, and the authority are
suddenly trying to nobble 100% council tax.

Which they may, mayn't they?

Post by Chris McMillan
Not my charity fortunately so I sidestepped the conversation.
Sincerely Chris