Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Non-Domestic Rates (Levying) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 and come into force on 1st April 2017.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations-

"the 1962 Act" means the Local Government (Financial Provisions etc.) (Scotland) Act 1962(2);

"the 1966 Act" means the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1966(3);

"the 1975 Act" means the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975(4);

"the 1997 Act" means the Local Government and Rating Act 1997(5);

"cumulative rateable value" means the total rateable value of all lands and heritages which an individual ratepayer is either-

or both;

"lands and heritages" has the meaning prescribed by and under section 42 of the Lands Valuation (Scotland) Act 1854(6);

"part residential subjects" has the meaning prescribed by and under section 99(1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992(7);

"payday lending" means, in the course of a business involving lending, the making of, or advertising the availability of, loan agreements in relation to which the credit provided is to be repaid or substantially repaid over a period that does not exceed 12 months and being loan agreements with an annual percentage rate of interest equal to or exceeding 100%;

"rateable value", in relation to lands and heritages and a particular date, means-

and includes a rateable value so entered with retrospective effect;

"rates" means non-domestic rates levied under section 7B of the 1975 Act(8); and

"the roll" means a valuation roll made up under section 1 of the 1975 Act(9).

Amount payable as rates – lands and heritages with rateable value of £18,000 or less

3.-(1) Subject to paragraph (5), this regulation grants relief to a person who is liable to pay rates in respect of lands and heritages on a day in the relevant year where they have-

(a)a rateable value of £18,000 or less; and

(b)a cumulative rateable value not exceeding £35,000.

(2) The relevant year for the purposes of this regulation is the financial year 2017-2018.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), where the cumulative rateable value of lands and heritages falls within one of the ranges specified in column 1 (cumulative rateable value range) of the table below, the amount of rates payable is to be reduced by the percentage specified in the corresponding entry in column 2 (percentage of rate relief).

(4) The amount of rate relief calculated under paragraph (3) is to be reduced by the amount of any-

(a)reduction by virtue of one or more of the following enactments-

(i)section 4(2) of the 1962 Act(10);

(ii)section 4(5)(c) of the 1962 Act(11);

(iii)section 24(3) of the 1966 Act(12);

(iv)section 24A of the 1966 Act(13);

(v)section 4 or 5 of the Rating (Disabled Persons) Act 1978(14);

(vi)paragraph 3(1) of schedule 2 of the 1997 Act(15); or

(b)determination in accordance with sections 6(1) and 7B(2) of the Valuation and Rating (Scotland) Act 1956(16),

but only to the extent that the amount of such rate relief is reduced to nil.

(5) No rate relief is granted in consequence of paragraph (1) in respect of lands and heritages used for payday lending.

Amount payable as rates – lands and heritages with rateable value more than £51,000

4.-(1) This regulation applies to lands and heritages on any day in the relevant year when they have a rateable value exceeding £51,000.

(2) The relevant year for the purposes of this regulation is the financial year 2017-2018.

(3) The additional amount payable as rates under these Regulations in respect of lands and heritages for a day in the relevant year on which this regulation applies to them is to be calculated in accordance with the formula-

Exemptions and discretionary reductions and remissions

5.  Nothing in these Regulations-

(a)requires rates to be paid in respect of lands and heritages for any day where those lands and heritages are under any enactment entirely exempt from rates for that day; or

(b)prejudices the power of a rating authority to grant a reduction or remission of rates under section 3A or 4(5) of the 1962 Act(17) or paragraph 4 of schedule 2 of the 1997 Act(18).

Revocation and saving

6.-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Non-Domestic Rates (Levying) (Scotland) Regulations 2016(19) are revoked.

(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) affects the continuing operation of the Non-Domestic Rates (Levying) (Scotland) Regulations 2016 as regards the financial year 2016-2017.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make provision for the amount payable in certain circumstances as non-domestic rates in respect of non-domestic subjects in Scotland. The non-domestic rate for subjects not covered by these Regulations is fixed by order made under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975. For the year 2017-2018, the rate is fixed by the Non-Domestic Rate (Scotland) Order 2017 (S.S.I. 2017/8).

Regulation 3 provides for the general reduction in rates for a ratepayer of non-domestic subjects with a rateable value of £18,000 or less. Regulation 3(3) sets out the reduction of either 25% or 100% depending on the value of the subjects. This regulation applies to the financial year 2017-2018.

Regulation 3(4) provides for a reduction in rate relief (calculated in accordance with regulation 3(3)) if the enactments listed in regulation 3(4)(a) or (b) already provide for a reduction or determination. Regulation 3(5) provides that no rate relief may be granted in respect of lands and heritages used for payday lending.

Regulation 4 provides a formula for the additional amount payable as rates for lands and heritages with a rateable value exceeding £51,000. This regulation applies to the financial year 2017-2018.

Regulation 5 allows for exemptions and discretionary reductions.

The Non-Domestic Rates (Levying) (Scotland) Regulations 2016 are revoked by regulation 6.