Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) in Wales only came into force in April 2007 (it came into force in England in April 2005) and the rules are different.
In England, the occupier gets the relief and there are circumstances where an occupier will not get relief e.g. mostly if he is occupying more than one property. This requires him to have to make a declaration and to sign a form.
In Wales it is the property that gets the relief automatically by virtue of its rateable value. So the bills are automatically adjusted for qualifying properties. Thus you should already be getting relief.
How much you get depends on the level of your rateable value.
50% for businesses with a rateable value of £2,000 or less;
25% for businesses with a rateable value between £2,001 and £5,000;
100% for post offices (a hereditamentau, which include post offices) with a rateable value of £9,000 or less; and
50% for post offices (and hereditaments, which include post offices) with a rateable value between £9,001 and £12,000.
So it is critical that your rateable value is correct.
If your rateable value was, say, £5100. No rate relief. But if that were corrected to £4900 that would take 25% off your rates bill for 3 years. Many Rateable Values are incorrect because of CLERICAL ERRORS, and you can check for these using Leaseholdersunited's free rateable value tool. Click here for more information
Outside of the rateable value there are some occupations and properties that do not qualify for SBRR i.e.
advertising rights;
beach huts;
electronic communications stations;
sewage works;
car parks and spaces;
properties (other than post offices) that are not wholly occupied;
Crown hereditaments;
and hereditaments, which are occupied by billing or precepting authorities
and also where
the ratepayer is a charity and the hereditament is wholly or mainly used for charitable purposes;
where the ratepayer is a registered community amateur sports club; and
where the premises are used for recreation and they are used by a club, society or other not-for-profit body.