Most UK small businesses with a property under £12,000 rateable value pay zero business rates. Many don't know. Plus 40% relief for retail, hospitality, leisure. Plus rural rate relief. Check what you're missing in 30 seconds.
This checker reflects England's 2025/26 multipliers and reliefs. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate schemes with different thresholds — Sorted gives a guide range for those but recommends checking your devolved government's site directly. Apply directly to your local council — they administer business rates for free. Never pay a "business rates consultant" who takes a percentage of your savings; councils apply relief without charge.
For free business support, contact your local Growth Hub (gov.uk/business-finance-support) or Business Wales / Scottish Enterprise / Invest NI in the devolved nations.
The rateable value (RV) is the Valuation Office Agency's estimate of what your property would rent for, at a fixed point in time (currently 1 April 2021 for the 2023 list). The business rates you pay = rateable value × multiplier. For 2024/25 in England the standard multiplier is 54.6p and the small business multiplier is 49.9p. Check yours free at gov.uk/correct-your-business-rates.
100% off business rates if your only property has RV under £12,000. Tapering down to 0% relief at RV £15,000. To qualify, you must usually only use one property (with allowance for additional properties under £2,899 RV provided the total is under £20,000 / £28,000 in London). Apply via your council.
40% off the bill for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure premises in England — capped at £110,000 per business in 2025/26. Eligible: shops, cafés, restaurants, pubs, takeaways, hotels, cinemas, gyms, theatres, museums, hair salons, beauty salons, nail bars. Not eligible: betting shops, financial services, professional services, medical premises.
100% off business rates if you're the only village pub, the only village shop, the only post office or the only petrol station in a designated rural settlement (population under 3,000). Your council can extend it to other rural businesses under £16,500 RV at discretion. Apply via the council.
80% mandatory relief for registered charities and CASCs using property mostly for charitable purposes. Councils can grant the final 20% as discretionary top-up. Apply via the council.
3 months of 100% relief for empty non-domestic property (6 months for industrial premises). After that, rates are payable unless extended exemptions apply (listed buildings, RV under £2,900, owner deceased, etc).
From April 2024, no business rates increase for 12 months on qualifying property improvements (extensions, new floors, etc.) that increase the rateable value. Applies until April 2028. Apply through your local council.
Scotland uses the Small Business Bonus Scheme — 100% relief up to £12,000 RV (combined RV), tapering to £20,000. Apply via your council. Wales: Small Business Rates Relief gives 100% relief up to £6,000 RV, tapering to 0% at £12,000. Northern Ireland: Small Business Rate Relief is 50% under £2,000 NAV, 25% £2,000-£5,000, 20% £5,000-£15,000.
Most relief is administered by your local council. Go directly to gov.uk/find-your-local-council, find your council, and look for "business rates" or "non-domestic rates". SBRR is sometimes applied automatically; RHL relief usually needs an application each year. Keep a copy of your application reference. If the council refuses, you can appeal via the Valuation Tribunal England (free).