Business and licensing

How to pay

Pay over the phone

You can pay your BID levy over the phone with a debit or credit card.

To pay over the phone, phone us on 0300 300 0202. You'll need:

• your BID reference number (find it at the top of your most recent bill)
• a debit or credit card
• the billing address for the debit or credit card.

You’ll need to phone during normal business hours.

Pay by cheque

You can pay your BID levy by sending us a cheque.

To pay by cheque, you'll need to:

• ensure the cheque is marked 'A/C payee only' (write it on the cheque if it's not printed on there already)
• make the cheque payable to ‘Renfrewshire Council’
• tell us your business rates reference number by writing it on your cheque or on a separate letter (find it at the top of your most recent bill)
• tell us what financial year your payment is for by writing it on your cheque or on a separate letter (such as 2025-26).

Send your cheque or postal order to:

Director of Finance and Resources
Renfrewshire House, 2nd Floor
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1AD

Pay by bank transfer

You can pay your BID levy by bank transfer.

Transfer your payment to:

Virgin Money
Paisley
PA1 1UW
Sort code: 82-54-04
Account number: 30046413

Here are our details for international payments:

• IBAN: GB08CLYD82540430046413
• BIC: CLYDGB21646

Use your BID reference number (find it at the top of your most recent bill) as the payment reference.

Contact us

If you need to tell us about changes to your circumstances or want to ask a question, find out how to contact us online about BID.

A Business Improvement District (BID) is an initiative where businesses in a specific area work together to invest in projects and services to improve their trade. It’s led and funded by the businesses in the area.

There is one BID in Renfrewshire: the Paisley Town Centre BID. It’s run by Paisley First. Joining is mandatory if your business is in the BID.

If you’re part of the Paisley Town Centre BID, you need to pay your BID levy.

Learn more about the Paisley Town Centre BID (Paisley First website).

If you have any questions about your BID levy, contact us online.

The amount you need to pay depends on the rateable value of your property. This is usually the net value of your property, but it might be different in special cases. You can learn more about your property’s rateable value by contacting the Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board.

How to appeal

Appeal your business rates bill or business rates relief

You should appeal your business rates within 29 days of receiving your bill.

Appeal your business rates in writing by sending your appeal to:

Director of Finance and Resources 
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street 
Paisley 
PA1 1AD

In your appeal, you’ll need to tell us why the business rates we’re charging you are not correct.

Appeal the net value of your property

You should appeal the net value of your property within 6 months of:

• becoming the owner, tenant, or occupier
• the assessor changing the net value of your property.

Appeal the net value of your property in writing by sending your appeal to:

Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
Robertson Centre
16 Glasgow Road
Paisley
PA1 3QF

In your appeal, you’ll need to tell the assessor why the net value of your property is not correct.

After you appeal

You must continue to pay your current business rates bills while you're waiting for a response, which could take up to 2 months. If your appeal is successful and we change our decision, we'll adjust your future payments or give you a refund.

If you think your business rates bill is higher than it should be, you can appeal. This means we'll review your business rates and consider changing how much you need to pay.

You can appeal:

• your business rates bill
• your business rates relief
• the net value of your property.

Business rates relief is any discount we give you off your business rates bill. You’ll only receive relief if you’ve applied for it.

The net value of your property is the assessor’s estimate of how much annual rent your property could earn. Renfrewshire’s assessor is the Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board. They must revalue all properties every 5 years. The most recent valuation applies from 1 April 2023.

Before you appeal, you should make sure you understand your current business rates.

To ask about your business rates, you can either:

• contact us online
• phone us on 0300 300 0202.

To ask about the net value of your property, contact the Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board.

You may be able to get a full relief on your business rates for 1 year if your business is moving into a long-term empty property (a property that was empty for at least 6 months before you moved in). This is through ‘Fresh Start Relief’.

You could get relief through Fresh Start Relief if you meet all these criteria:

• you moved into the property on or after 1 April 2018 and the property had been empty for at least 6 months
• the property has a rateable value of £100,000 or less
• the property you’re applying for is actively occupied.

These property categories are ineligible for Fresh Start Relief from 1 April 2026:

• accommodation of 1 or more advertisements
• provision of facilities for betting
• payday lending
• those that require a short-term let licence but have not obtained one
• some deer forests and shootings.

To apply, you’ll need:

• business rates reference number (find it at the top of your most recent bill), unless you’re a new ratepayer
• valuation reference number, if you have one
• your business’s rateable value.

Your business rates reference number is 11 digits long and begins with a 5, 6, or 8. You can find it on your most recent business rates bill.

Find your valuation reference number and your business’s rateable value by searching for your business’s postcode on the Scottish Assessors’ Association website.

If you need help with your application, you can either:

• contact us online
• phone us on 0300 300 0202.

Apply for business rates relief for businesses moving into long-term empty properties

We'll let you know of our decision by email.

You should continue to pay your business rates bill as normal until you’ve received an updated bill.

You can get a full or partial relief on your business rates if your organisation provides certain services for people with disabilities.

You can get up to a 100% relief on your business rates if your organisation provides:

• residential accommodation for the care or aftercare of people who are ill
• training for people with disabilities
• welfare services or workshops for people with disabilities.

This relief is not available for properties used for:

• the administrative purposes of charities that support people with disabilities
• treatment, rather than aftercare, of people who are ill.

To apply, you’ll need your business rates account number.

Your business rates account number is 11 digits long and begins with a 5, 6, or 8. You can find it on your most recent business rates bill.

You’ll need to provide a plan or diagram of the layout of each floor in your property. You’ll need to list the purpose of each room so we can understand how you’re using the property.

If you’re an agent acting on behalf of the owner or tenant, you’ll also need to provide a copy of your agent’s declaration.

If you need help with your application, you can either:

• contact us online
• phone us on 0300 300 0202.

Apply for business rates relief for properties providing services for people with disabilities

We'll let you know of our decision by email.

You should continue to pay your business rates bill as normal until you’ve received an updated bill.

You can get a full relief on your business rates if your organisation is a day nursery.

You can get a 100% relief on your business rates if you use your property mainly or entirely as a nursery that also provides day care of children.

To apply, you’ll need your business rates account number.

Your business rates account number is 11 digits long and begins with a 5, 6, or 8. You can find it on your most recent business rates bill.

If you need help with your application, you can either:

• contact us online
• phone us on 0300 300 0202.

Attach your application to this online form

Send your application to:

Renfrewshire Council
Finance and Resources, Revenues Business Team
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1AN

Fill in this PDF form

Then, send us your completed form using one of the methods below.

We'll let you know of our decision by email.

You should continue to pay your business rates bill as normal until you’ve received an updated bill.

You may be able to get a full or partial relief on your business rates if you’re a non-profit organisation.

This is different to business rates relief for registered charities and amateur sports clubs.

You can apply for up to 100% rates relief as long as your property is mostly used for non-profit purposes.

Your non-profit organisation’s objectives should be related to at least one of the following:

• philanthropy
• religion
• education
• social welfare
• science
• literature
• fine arts.

We may also give relief to sports clubs if their property is used mainly for recreation.

To apply, you’ll need your business rates account number.

Your business rates account number is 11 digits long and begins with a 5, 6, or 8. You can find it on your most recent business rates bill.

You’ll also need to include:

• a certified copy of your latest audited accounts
• a copy of your constitution and any rules of your organisation.

If you need help with your application, you can either:

• contact us online
• phone us on 0300 300 0202.

Attach your application to this online form

Print and send your application to:

Renfrewshire Council
Finance and Resources, Revenues Business Team
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1AN

Fill in this PDF application form

Then, send us your completed form using one of the methods below.

We'll let you know of our decision by email.

You should continue to pay your business rates bill as normal until you’ve received an updated bill.

You may be able to get a full or partial relief on your business rates if you have a charity or amateur sports club.

Registered charities can apply for 80% rates relief if the property is used mostly for charitable purposes.

Registered amateur sports clubs can also apply for 80% relief if the property is used mostly by that club or other registered amateur sports clubs.

If you’re eligible for this relief, we may also decide to remove the remaining 20% of your bill in addition to the first 80%. So, you would not have to pay any business rates. We’ll let you know if this applies to you.

This relief is not available for mainstream independent schools.

To apply, you’ll need your business rates account number.

Your business rates account number is 11 digits long and begins with a 5, 6, or 8. You can find it on your most recent business rates bill.

If you’re a charity, you’ll need to provide either:

• your registered charity number
• an HM Revenue & Customs tax exemption certificate.

If you’re an amateur sports club, you’ll need to provide your community amateur sports club registration number.

If you need help with your application, you can either:

• contact us online
• phone us on 0300 300 0202.

Apply for business rates relief for charities and amateur sports clubs

We'll let you know of our decision by email.

You should continue to pay your business rates bill as normal until you’ve received an updated bill.

You may be able to get a full or partial relief on your business rates if your property is empty.

Standard commercial properties

If your standard commercial property is empty, you can get:

• 50% business rates relief for the first 3 months of being empty
• 10% relief after the first 3 months.

Industrial properties

If your industrial property is empty, you can get:

• 100% business rates relief for the first 6 months of being empty
• 10% relief after the first 6 months.

New-build properties

If your new-build property is empty, you can usually get 100% business rates relief for the first 12 months after the property becomes occupied or for 4 years after the date that the property was added to the valuation roll, whichever is sooner.

Partly occupied properties

If only part of your property is empty and another part is occupied, you may be able to get business rates relief on the empty portion of the property. The rate of relief depends on your specific circumstances, such as the building’s layout or which parts are occupied.

The start date for this relief is the later of these dates:

• when the part occupation began
• the start of the financial year in which you applied for relief.

The end date for this relief is the earliest of these dates:

• when the part occupation ended
• the end of the financial year in which you applied for relief.
• when the property becomes fully empty.

We may extend this relief into the following financial year, depending on your circumstances.

Other types of empty properties

You can get 10% business rates relief if the empty property meets any of these criteria:

• has a rateable value less than £1,700
• cannot be occupied by law
• is under a compulsory purchase order
• has no buildings on it (in other words, the property is just empty land)
• the owner is in administration or is subject to an administration order
• the owner is a company or partnership that is winding up (see ‘winding up’ on mygov.scot website).

To apply, you’ll need your business rates account number.

Your business rates account number is 11 digits long and begins with a 5, 6, or 8. You can find it on your most recent business rates bill.

You’ll also need to include details about when and why the property became empty.

If you need help with your application, you can either:

• contact us online
• phone us on 0300 300 0202.

Apply for relief for a standard commercial or industrial property

Apply for relief for a new-build property

Apply for relief for a partly occupied property

Apply for relief for another type of empty property

We'll let you know of our decision by email.

You should continue to pay your business rates bill as normal until you’ve received an updated bill.

You may be able to get a partial relief on your business rates if you have a hospitality, retail, or leisure business.

From 2026–27 to 2028–29, additional reliefs for eligible properties in the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors are available:

• 15% relief for eligible properties liable for the basic or intermediate property rate (those with a rateable value up to and including £100,000), capped at £110,000 per business per year
• an additional 25% relief for eligible licensed hospitality and music venues, also liable for the basic or intermediate property rate, available for the same 3-year period.

Together, these reliefs will give eligible licensed hospitality premises and music venues a total of 40% relief for the next three years, capped at £110,000 per business per year.

If you’re already receiving 100% business rates relief for another reason (for example, through the Small Business Bonus Scheme), then there’s no need to apply for hospitality relief.

To apply, you’ll need:

• your business rates account number
• your company registration number.

Your business rates account number is 11 digits long and begins with a 5, 6, or 8. You can find it on your most recent business rates bill.

If you need help with your application, you can either:

• contact us online
• phone us on 0300 300 0202.

Apply for business rates relief for retail, hospitality, and leisure

We'll let you know of our decision by email.

You should continue to pay your business rates bill as normal until you’ve received an updated bill.

You may be able to get a full or partial relief on your business rates if you have a small business. This is through the Small Business Bonus Scheme.

The Small Business Bonus Scheme will continue with its current relief rates and thresholds for the next 3 years (as of April 2026), but several eligibility changes took place with effect from 1 April 2026. These changes apply to premises which require a short-term let licence and to those which relate to deer forests and shooting rights. Because of this, all affected ratepayers must make a new application for 2026–2027. Other existing exclusions – including payday lenders, advertisements, car parks, and betting shops – will also remain in place.

There are three types of relief for small businesses available.

If you have 1 business property

The relief you can get through the Small Business Bonus Scheme depends on your property’s rateable value.

If you have more than 1 business property

The relief you can get through the Small Business Bonus Scheme depends on the total, combined rateable value of all of your properties.

You must declare all business properties you own in Scotland on your application. Failure to do so may be considered fraud.

Small Business Transitional Relief

This relief limits the net rates bill increase in 2026–27 to 25% of what it would otherwise have been after all other applicable reliefs – including General Revaluation Transitional Relief – are applied. You must apply to get this relief.

You can get this relief if your property:

• received Small Business Bonus Scheme relief on 31 March 2026
• received Small Business Transitional Relief on 31 March 2026
• qualified for mandatory or discretionary Rural Relief on 31 March 2026 but lost eligibility from 1 April 2026 because the rateable value rose above the thresholds set out in the Non-Domestic Rating (Rural Areas and Rateable Value Limits) (Scotland) Order 2005 (as amended) (legislation.gov.uk website)
• received hospitality relief on 31 March 2026.

In 2027–28 and 2028–29, the relief will limit net bill increases to 50% and 75%, respectively.

You are not eligible for Small Business Transitional Relief if your property is required to hold a short-term let licence but does not have one.

You could get relief through the Small Business Bonus Scheme if:

• the combined rateable value of all your business properties is £35,000 or less
• the rateable values of individual properties are £20,000 or less
• the property you’re applying for is actively occupied.

The Small Business Bonus Scheme is not available to advertisements, car parks, betting shops, and payday lending businesses.

To apply, you’ll need:

• your business rates account number
• your company registration number.

Your business rates account number is 11 digits long and begins with a 5, 6, or 8. You can find it on your most recent business rates bill.

If you need help with your application, you can either:

• contact us online
• phone us on 0300 300 0202.

Apply for business rates relief for small businesses

We'll let you know of our decision by email.

You should continue to pay your business rates bill as normal until you’ve received an updated bill.