Coronavirus Impact: Business Rates

Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF)

This scheme has now closed.

The Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) is a scheme available to provide support to ratepayers affected by COVID-19 who are not eligible for existing support linked to business rates.

CARF cannot be awarded to ratepayers who for the same period of the relief (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) either are or would have been eligible for the Extended Retail Discount (covering the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Discount and the Nursery Discount).

To be eligible to apply for CARF, you must be a ratepayer liable and occupying eligible premises in respect of business rates in the boundary of Ipswich Borough Council during the financial year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.

The premises must be rated in the sectors, defined by the Valuation Office Agency rating list and detailed in the table below.

Manufacturing

Real Estate Activities

Professional Services

Administrative Services

Education

Miscellaneous

Transport

Storage and Distribution

You must also be able to demonstrate that you have been adversely affected by the pandemic (in a way that prevents success and development; harmfully or unfavourably) and have been unable to adequately adapt to that impact.

To be considered for this relief, we require businesses to provide a statement and any supporting evidence demonstrating how the business has been adversely affected by the pandemic and that they have been unable to adapt adequately to the impact.

The premises must be listed in the table above and not in an excluded category. You can view Ipswich Borough Council’s CARF policy to check which premises are listed within the excluded categories.

If your business falls in an excluded category, you may still be able to apply for CARF relief under the discretionary hardship fund if you can demonstrate significant detrimental impact due to COVID-19.

You will need to provide:

Your business rates account number
Your VAT registration number if you have one, or Companies House registration number if applicable
Your National Insurance Number, if you are a sole trader or a partnership
A statement and any supporting evidence demonstrating how your business has been adversely affected by the pandemic and also been unable to adapt adequately to the impact
A valid email address to send notifications to

You must submit your evidence and complete the application form before the closing date of 14 April 2022.