Business Rates
The non-domestic counterpart to Council Tax. Business rates tax commercial and industrial property based on current rental values; a system that is revalued regularly and structured proportionally, in contrast to the frozen, banded residential system.
£26bn
Net yield 2023–24
2.15m
Properties on rating list
£70.4bn
Total rateable value
55.5p
Standard multiplier 2025–26
How Business Rates Work
The rating list and rateable values
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) maintains the rating list: a register of every non-domestic property in England and Wales with its rateable value (RV); an estimate of the annual open-market rent the property could command on a set valuation date. Unlike Council Tax, this is based on current rental values, not capital values frozen at 1991.
The multiplier
The government sets a multiplier (pence in the pound) which is applied to each property's rateable value to calculate the basic bill. For 2025–26, the standard multiplier is 55.5p; a property with an RV of £100,000 would face a basic bill of £55,500 before any reliefs. Properties with an RV below £51,000 pay on the lower small business multiplier of 49.9p.
Current multipliers (England, 2025–26)
| Standard multiplier | 55.5p |
| Small business multiplier (RV < £51,000) | 49.9p |
New five-multiplier system (England, from 2026–27)
| Standard | 48.0p |
| Small business (RV < £51,000) | 43.2p |
| Standard RHL (retail, hospitality, leisure) | 43.0p |
| Small business RHL | 38.2p |
| High-value (RV ≥ £500,000) | 50.8p |
Revaluations
The VOA periodically revalues all non-domestic properties. The most recent revaluation took effect in April 2026 (based on rental values at 1 April 2024). From 2026, the cycle is three-yearly, with an aspiration towards annual revaluations. The Non-Domestic Rating Act 2023 provides the legislative basis. This contrasts strikingly with Council Tax, where English residential valuations have not been updated since 1991.
Revenue
| Measure | 2023–24 | 2024–25 |
|---|---|---|
| Gross rates payable | £32.3bn | £35.4bn |
| Total reliefs granted | £7.0bn | £8.6bn |
| Net yield (England) | £25.1bn | £26.4bn |
| Net yield (Wales) | £0.9bn | — |
England: DLUHC NNDR statistics. Wales: Welsh Government NDR actuals 2023–24.
Reliefs
Approximately a quarter of gross business rates liability is removed through reliefs. The total cost of reliefs in England was £8.6 billion in 2024–25. The major categories:
40% relief (2025–26), capped at £110,000 per business. To be replaced by permanently lower RHL multipliers from 2026–27.
Mandatory 80% relief for properties occupied by charities used wholly or mainly for charitable purposes.
100% relief for properties with RV ≤ £12,000; tapered relief up to RV £15,000.
Properties exempt for the first three months of vacancy (six months for industrial).
Figures: England 2024–25. Source: DLUHC NNDR statistics 2024–25.
The 2023 Revaluation
The 2023 revaluation (valuation date: 1 April 2021) was the first since 2017. Total rateable value rose 7.2% to £70.4 billion, but the headline figure masks a sharp sectoral divergence:
−10%
Retail
+10%
Offices
+27%
Industrial / warehouses
Retail was the only sector to see values decline, reflecting the structural shift to online commerce. Industrial and warehouse properties, including distribution centres, saw the sharpest increases. This mismatch has been central to debate over whether business rates unfairly penalise physical retail.
Business Rates vs Council Tax
Both are property taxes collected by local authorities, but structured in strikingly different ways:
| Business Rates | Council Tax | |
|---|---|---|
| Valuation basis | Annual rental value | Capital value |
| Valuation date | 1 April 2024 (current list) | 1 April 1991 |
| Revaluation frequency | Every 3 years (from 2026) | Never (England) |
| Tax structure | Proportional (multiplier × RV) | Banded (3:1 range) |
| Rate setting | National (by government) | Local (by each council) |
| Revenue retention | Centrally pooled and redistributed | Retained locally |
| Revenue (E&W, 2023–24) | ~£26bn | ~£44bn |
The comparison highlights an anomaly: commercial property is valued at current rents and revalued every three years, while residential property is valued at 1991 prices and has never been revalued. The Mirrlees Review argued that a reformed Council Tax should resemble business rates: proportional to current value, regularly revalued, and nationally uniform.
Policy and Reform
Who bears the burden?
The IFS has analysed economic incidence. In the long run, much of the burden shifts to property owners through lower rents; the tax is capitalised into property values. In the short run, tenants on existing leases bear the full cost. Calls to cut rates to "save the high street" may therefore ultimately benefit landlords rather than retailers.
The high street vs warehouses
Rates are levied on physical premises, so a high-street retailer faces a significant bill relative to turnover, while an online competitor operating from large warehouses may pay less. The 2023 revaluation sharpened this: retail values fell 10% while warehouse values rose 27%. From 2026–27, the government will charge permanently lower multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure, funded by a higher multiplier on properties with RV above £500,000. (GOV.UK)
More frequent revaluations
The move to three-yearly revaluations (with aspirations towards annual) is widely welcomed. More frequent cycles keep bills aligned with market conditions and reduce the shock of large adjustments. The 2023 revaluation came after a six-year gap (the 2021 exercise was postponed due to COVID), during which significant market shifts accumulated unseen.
Land value taxation
Some economists, including contributors to the IFS, have argued for replacing business rates with a land value tax (LVT), which would tax land only, excluding buildings and improvements. This would remove the perverse incentive whereby improving a property increases the rates bill. The practical challenge is separating land value from building value; particularly in dense urban areas where almost all value is attributable to location.
Sources
DLUHC: NNDR collected by local authorities in England, 2024–25
DLUHC: NNDR collected by local authorities in England, 2023–24
Welsh Government: Non-domestic rates actuals, 2023–24
VOA: 2023 compiled list statistical commentary
GOV.UK: Non-domestic rating multipliers for 2026–27
IFS: Business rates; reform, reduce or replace?
HM Treasury: Transforming Business Rates (2024)
House of Commons Library: How could the government change the business rates system?