Small firms facing rates rise

Around 67,000 SMEs in England face above-inflation rises in their bills next year, according to property consultancy Gerald Eve.  The firm points out that the end of transitional relief for small businesses in April 2015 has coincided withe George Osborne's decision to postpone a revaluation of the property values used to calculate the tax, with many facing steep rises in rates as a result.  The FSB has said business rates are among the biggest concerns of its members, with online competitors increasingly able to undercut those paying for physical premises.  Jerry Schurder, head of rating at Gerald Eve, said the chancellor should cap rates rises to inflation in December's Autumn Statement and promise a radical overhaul of the system