What are business rates
Non Domestic Rates - known as business rates - are payable for all premises that are not domestic and are not exempt from rates. It is the Valuation Office Agency and not the council who will decide if your property should be assessed for business rates.
Our explanatory notes for this year’s business rates apply to all businesses in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area. Here are our details if you need to contact us.
Last year's business rates explanatory notes are also available.
What business rates are for
We collect the rates on behalf of central Government. They redistribute part of the rates collected to all councils, which then goes towards the cost or providing local services in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
For details of our budgets and spending plans, please see our Council Tax supporting information.
Who has to pay business rates
The person/business who is considered to be in rateable occupation. For occupied premises this will normally be the person who is in actual occupation and has exclusive rights to those premises. For unoccupied properties the liability is with the person entitled to possession, for example the freeholder if no lease or licence is in effect.