Business Rates Changes for 2026
Business Rates bills are currently scheduled to be issued on or around 16th March 26. The first instalment will be due on 6th April 26, and following instalments will be due on the 1st of each month.
There are some important changes to Business Rates that will affect your new bill.
Find out below about following changes:
- The Revaluation of Commercial Properties
- New Multipliers
- Transitional Relief
- Supporting Small Business Relief
- Electric Vehicle Charging Points Relief
- Small Business Rates Relief on additional properties
- Relief for Pubs and Live Music Venues
Revaluation of Commercial Properties
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) updates rateable values for commercial properties in England every three years. That process reflects changes in the market and is known as a revaluation.
Rateable values are the amount of rent a property could have been let for on a set valuation date. For the 2026 revaluation, that date is 1st April 2024. A rateable value is not necessarily the same as the amount of rent paid for a property or the level of business rates that it might be liable for.
The Council uses Rateable values to calculate Business Rates bills.
If you think that your current rateable value is wrong, you must contact the VOA through your business rates valuation account.
It is important to note that you only have until 31st March 2026 to Request changes to your existing valuation
For further information regarding Business Rates and the revaluation, please see the Valuation Office Agency website.
Ratepayers with a large increase in Rateable Value will be given Transitional Relief.
New Multipliers
From 1st April 2026, the present two multipliers set each year by the Government, (i.e. small 49.9p and standard 55.5p business multipliers) will be expanded and there will instead, be five multipliers as follows:
- A small business multiplier of 43.2p for properties with a rateable value of less than £51,000.
- A standard multiplier of 48.0p for properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or more.
- A small business, retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) multiplier of 38.2p for retail hospitality and leisure businesses with a rateable value of less than £51,000.
- A standard retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) multiplier of 43.0p for retail hospitality and leisure businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or more.
- A high value multiplier of 50.8p for businesses with a rateable value of £500,000 or more.
For the definition of a retail, hospitality and leisure business for the purposes of the above multipliers, see Properties that qualify for the RHL multipliers.
If your business is eligible for retail, hospitality and leisure relief of 40% on 31st March 2026, Business Rates for 2026/27 will generally be calculated using either the small retail, hospitality and leisure multiplier, the standard retail, hospitality and leisure multiplier or the high value multiplier, depending upon the rateable value of your premises on 1st April 2026.
When you get your bill, if you think the multiplier is incorrect you will be able to contact us via a webform on this page.
Transitional relief
Transitional relief will be given to support business ratepayers facing large increases following the revaluation of their business premises effective from 1st April 2026. The scheme subsists for up to three years, but entitlement may end earlier if the eligibility criteria are no longer met.
Businesses will not need to apply for transitional relief as it will be applied to bills automatically.
Any increase in the rateable value of a property that occurs after 1st April 2026, will not attract transitional relief (although any transitional relief awarded based upon the rateable value prior to the change, may continue to apply).
Transitional relief is calculated using a statutory formula that compares the amount payable in 2025/26 (a “base liability”) with the notional chargeable (“NCA”) amount for 2026/27.
If the business rates charge increases by more than a ‘threshold’ set by the government, the amount of the increase is restricted.
Sometimes, the calculation may be more complex. An example of this is when small business rate relief is also awarded after properties are split or merged.
If you need help to understand a complex calculation, you can request an explanation on our Enquiry form. (Select 'Request', then 'My query is not listed')
Transitional relief does not apply to the Business Rates Supplement levied by the Greater London Authority (GLA) for commercial properties with a rateable value exceeding £92,000.
The “threshold” set by the Government and applied for transitional relief purposes, depends upon the rateable value of the property as shown in the table below:
Table 1 – Business Rates Increase Limits
| Property Size | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small - Rateable Value up to and including £28,000 | 5% | 10% plus inflation | 25% plus inflation |
| Medium - Rateable Value over £28,000 up to and including £100,000 | 15% | 25% plus inflation | 40% plus inflation |
| Large - Rateable Value over £100,000 | 30% | 25% plus inflation | 25% plus inflation |
Transitional Relief Supplement
For properties where transitional relief or Supporting Small Business Relief is not applicable, for one year, a supplement of 1p will be charged to partially fund the transitional relief scheme.
Supporting Small Business Relief (SSB)
Supporting Small Business (SSB) Relief provides support to businesses losing some or all of their entitlement to either small business rate relief because of the revaluation, or losing retail, hospitality and leisure relief, which ceases on 31st March 2026.
The amount is capped at the higher of £800 or the relevant transitional relief caps from 1st April 2026.
Businesses will not need to apply for SSB as it will be applied to bills automatically.
The scheme will operate for three years with the current SSB 2023 scheme applicable until 31st March 2026, being extended for a further one-year term. However, entitlement may end earlier if the eligibility criteria are no longer met.
Only occupied premises will be in scope for the scheme with charities and community amateur sports clubs not being eligible.
Electric vehicle charging points relief
A ten-year relief scheme for eligible electric vehicle charging points and electric vehicle only forecourts is to be established by the Government to ensure no Business Rates liability.
Small Business Rates Relief on additional properties
An extension of the Small Business Rate Relief scheme has been introduced from 27th November 2025 permitting a business to acquire a further property without losing relief entitlement, for a period of three years, instead of the one year that was permitted, prior to that date.
Relief for Pubs and Live Music Venues
The Government recently announced that from April, eligible pubs and live music venues in England, will receive a 15% reduction on their Business Rates bill in addition to the support announced at the Budget. Bills will also be frozen for a further two years.
Information about who is eligible for the new relief can be found on GOV.UK
The Government has also announced a review of how pubs and hotels are valued, ahead of the next proposed 2029 revaluation.
It is not currently anticipated that businesses will need to apply for the reduction as it will be applied to bills automatically. However, if more clarification is needed the Council might ask for further information before giving a reduction.