Anne McLaughlin MSP has today welcomed the fact that the Small Business Bonus Scheme delivered average savings of more than 1,400 pounds for companies in Scotland last year, new figures have revealed. In her own region of Glasgow it has delivered on average £1800 of savings in 2009-10.

In Aberdeen, East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh, Inverclyde and South Lanarkshire small companies benefiting from the scheme saved more than £1,700 on average in 2009/10. In Glasgow and North Lanarkshire the figure was over £1,800.

The new findings follow recent figures showing that the number of Scottish small business properties benefiting from business rates relief packages had risen by 18 per cent over the year to around 110,500. Of these, 74,000 were business properties that paid zero or reduced business rates due to the Small Business Bonus Scheme in 2009-10 - up from 64,000 recipients the year before.

Welcoming the new figures, Anne McLaughlin, SNP MSP for the Glasgow Region said: "Glasgow's small businesses will be vital in the economic recovery. It is such businesses which will really drive economic growth as they seek to expand and develop. That's why I'm proud that the Scottish Government's Small Business Bonus Scheme is making such a difference to Glaswegian businessmen and women. We all recognise the difference that having thriving small businesses makes to our city's streets and communities.

"Across Scotland the Small Business Bonus Scheme is continuing to help tens of thousands of small Scottish companies, with average annual savings of over 1,400 pounds - money which can now be invested in those businesses. This is great news and should be widely welcomed."

BACKGROUND

The Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) was introduced by the Scottish Government in April 2008 to provide non-domestic rates relief for small companies in Scotland.

Eligibility for SBBS relief is determined on the basis of rateable value (RV) of all properties within a business. Business properties with an RV of up to 8,000 pounds were eligible to pay no rates at all in 2009-10. For the current year, this 100 per cent relief now applies to properties with an RV of up to 10,000 pounds. The threshold for 50 per cent relief was increased from 10,000 pounds to 12,000 pounds, and for 25 per cent relief from 15,000 pounds to 18,000 pounds.

In addition to the uplift in thresholds, the scheme was expanded from April 2010 to allow a business with two or more properties with a cumulative rateable value of 25,000 pounds or less to qualify for relief of 25 per cent on individual properties with rateable values of up to 18,000 pounds.

Other types of non-domestic rates relief include:

• Charities relief (including community amateur sports clubs)
• Empty property
  
• Disabled persons relief
  
• Rural rates relief
  
• Religious property
  
• Renewable energy generators

Any business which considers they may be eligible for SBBS or any other relief should contact their local council to discuss and request an application form.

Details of the scheme's benefits can be found in the following Parliamentary answer.