Commentary on Sections Part 5: Non-Domestic Rates Section 62: Calculation of non-domestic rating multiplier
107.Funding small business relief in England: Schedule 7 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988 sets out the rules for calculating the national rating multiplier. Section 62 provides for two multipliers instead of, as now, one. The two will be:
	a small business non-domestic rating multiplier, and
	a non-domestic rating multiplier.
In Wales, the current position remains unchanged - there will only be one multiplier, the non-domestic rating multiplier.
108.In England, for any year in which a small business rate relief scheme is run under section 61 the second multiplier, the non-domestic rating multiplier, will be set at a higher level than the small business non-domestic rating multiplier. The second multiplier will be increased so as to produce an addition to rate yield equal to the rate yield lost through small business relief. In the case of the City of London special provision is made. The City currently has the power to set a multiplier for its area either higher or lower than the national multiplier (paragraph 9 of Schedule 7 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988). Section 62(11) provides that the small business non-domestic rating multiplier for the City will be the same proportion of the City's multiplier as the national small business multiplier is of the national multiplier.
109.Offsetting losses in yield from appeals – England and Wales: there are special rules in paragraph 4 of Schedule 7 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988 on the calculation of a multiplier in the year of a revaluation. Under the 1988 Act, all non-domestic properties are revalued every five years starting in 1990. The purpose of such revaluations is not to change the yield from rates in real terms, but to redistribute the rate burden in line with movements in the property market since the last revaluation. If there is a significant increase in total rateable value at a revaluation then the multiplier must be reduced. If there is a significant decrease in value the multiplier must be increased. Thus in a revaluation year the calculation of the multiplier includes an adjustment to offset changes in the total rateable value between 31 March, the last day of the old list, and 1 April, the first day of the new lists. However the value for 1 April is subject to ‘erosion’, through subsequent successful appeals by ratepayers for reductions in rateable values having retrospective effect from 1 April (generating refunds to ratepayers in respect of rates paid from that date). Therefore the Secretary of State, as respects England, and National Assembly for Wales, as respects Wales, is required to estimate what will be shown for 1 April once the effect of successful appeals has been allowed for. It is this estimate which is then taken as the value for 1 April when making the adjustment to the multiplier to offset the effect of the revaluation.
110.This estimate is difficult to make. Accordingly section 62 allows adjustments in the multipliers for subsequent years to compensate for any error in estimation at the revaluation.