Released on: September 15, 2008, 7:10 am

Press Release Author: Jonathan Bowers

Industry: Internet & Online

Press Release Summary: Greater Manchester businesses are collectively missing out on
more than £16m in unclaimed Business Rate Relief. And they have just a couple of
weeks left to claim for up to three years of back payments.

Press Release Body: Small businesses in Manchester are failing to claim over £3m in
business rate rebates that they are entitled to, Leaseholdersunited states.

Greater Manchester businesses collectively could receive more than £16m they are not
claiming. The revelations come as businesses are running out of time to claim for
three years worth of back payments.

The UK Government has in force a regulation that provides a business rate rebate for
small businesses across the country. However, the catch is that firms don’t
automatically get the relief, they must apply and the Government has not made this
widely known.

“Currently, there are almost half a million small businesses in the UK not claiming
£260m worth of rate relief from the Government. At 26%, the North West has the worst
take up rate of any region,” comments UKFast MD Lawrence Jones, whose company
manages the website hosting for www.leaseholdersunited.com and is campaigning for
stronger local community business awareness.

“These figures are extremely troubling,” Lawrence adds. “To miss out on a rebate
they are entitled to at any time is bad enough. However, to miss out in the current
economic climate is scandalous. In Greater Manchester alone there are over 25,000
small businesses not claiming when they should. I urge everyone to visit the site to
see if they have a claim.”

Key Facts:
• £15,000 - All businesses with a Business Tax rate value of £15k or less are
entitled to a relief payment (£21,000 in London)
• £1,000 - The maximum relief payment for each year
• 26% - Percentage of eligible businesses in the North West taking up relief (lowest
in UK)
• £16.6m – Amount left unclaimed by Greater Manchester small businesses
• 25,060 – Number of businesses in Greater Manchester that are entitled but are not
claiming the rate relief
• 30 September 2008 – Deadline for claims that can be backdated for three years.

“This is a relief that is available to many small businesses and it is crucial that
they take this opportunity to claim,” states Mark Prisk MP, Shadow Minister for
Small Business & Enterprise.

Leaseholdersunited.com provides a wealth of information regarding the little known
rate relief provision. Find out if money is available to you by clicking on the
scrolling banner regarding SBRR on the www.leaseholdersunited.com homepage. Use the
big red button and complete your property details putting ‘ukfast’ in the referral
code box. Click ‘Find my eligibility’ to discover how much you are entitled to.
Print the form, sign and post it off, then wait for your payment to come through.


Web Site: http://www.ukfast.co.uk

Contact Details: Jonathan Bowers
UKFast
City Tower
Manchester
M1 4BT

0870 421 1585