MSPs pass bill to avoid £400m payout

MSPS last night passed emergency legislation to avoid a £400million bill from businesses.

- BY CRAIG MEIGHAN

It comes after an error from previous legislation could have seen firms ask for refunds for rates they did not legally have to pay. Due to the mistake, owners of up to 34,000 unoccupied properties could have claimed back Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) on their properties backdated from April 2023.

Ministers had intended that the Non Domestic Rates (Scotland) Act 2020 would give councils powers to charge rates on vacant non-domestic properties.