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Stop paying business rates you don't owe.

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.

£12,000Rateable value cap for 100% SBRR (England)
40%Retail/Hospitality/Leisure relief 2025/26
£110kCash cap on RHL relief per business
100%Rural rate relief (sole shop / post office)

Your property details

Honest note

What changed for 2026/27 (England): the temporary 40% Retail, Hospitality & Leisure relief (capped at £110,000 per business) ended on 31 March 2026. From 1 April 2026 it is replaced by permanently lower business-rates multipliers for RHL properties with a rateable value under £500,000 — set around 5p below the national multipliers, with no £110,000 cash cap — plus a new 15% relief for eligible pubs and live-music venues, and a redesigned transitional-relief scheme to cap large increases. The SBRR (100% under £12,000 RV) is unchanged. The figures and calculator below show the 2025/26 scheme as a guide; confirm your exact 2026/27 multipliers and relief with your council or GOV.UK (gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates).

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.

What is a rateable value?

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.

Watch out: rateable values updated 1 April 2023 — many UK properties saw rises. You can challenge for free via the VOA if you think yours is wrong. Don't pay a "business rates consultant" who takes 30-50% of any reduction.

Each relief explained

Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) — England

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 on GOV.UK.

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief — England 2025/26

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.

Rural Rate Relief

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.

Charitable Rate Relief

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.

Empty Property Relief

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).

Improvement Relief

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, Wales, Northern Ireland

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.

How to apply

Most relief is administered by your local council. Go directly to GOV.UK — find your local 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).

Checked 13 August 2026 (GOV.UK): the 40% retail, hospitality and leisure discount ended in April 2026. It was replaced by permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties: 38.2p where the rateable value is under £51,000 and 43p from £51,000 to £499,999 (the standard multipliers are 43.2p and 48p). Properties with a rateable value of £500,000 or more pay a new 50.8p multiplier.
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