Changes to business rates
The government have announced some changes to business rates from 1 April.
Business rates changes 2026
Find out how business rates and relief types are changing for the next financial year.
At the autumn budget on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor announced changes to business rates from 1 April 2026.
Changes to multipliers
- Two new retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers, as well as a high-value multiplier for properties with a rateable value of £500,000 or more.
- The standard multiplier will stay but will be 5p higher than the retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers.
This means the multipliers will be:
Standard business properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or less - 43.2p
Standard business properties with a rateable value of more than £51,000 - 48.0p
High-value multiplier for properties with a rateable value of £500,000 or more - 50.8p
Retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or less - 38.2p
Retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value of more than £51,000 - 43.0p
Extension to small business rates relief
All small businesses that take on a second property from 27 November 2025 will be able to keep small business rates relief on the original property for three years.
New transitional relief scheme
The extension to the small business rates relief goes alongside a property revaluation, which last happened in 2023. A new transitional relief scheme will be automatically applied to your business rates bill if you qualify.
New supporting small businesses scheme
If your business faces higher bills because of the removal of retail, hospitality and leisure rate relief or you might lose your small business or rural rate relief, you might qualify for a new supporting small businesses scheme.
This would limit bill increases to £800 a year (previously £600 a year) and will be applied automatically. If you qualify for more help under transitional relief instead, we will apply that automatically to your bill.
New transitional relief supplement
If your business does not qualify for either transitional relief or supporting small businesses relief, you will be charged an extra 1p on your multiplier. This will be used to fund the transitional relief scheme.
Pubs and live music venues relief
On Tuesday 27 January 2026, it was announced that eligible pubs and live music venues will get 15% rate relief on top of the support announced in the 2026 budget. Bills will be frozen for another two years.
New electric vehicle charging point relief scheme
We don't have full details on this scheme yet, but we have been told that these business properties will get 100% relief for 10 years. We'll update more when we have it.
We may be able to automatically update your bills for the new financial year to show the relief your business is entitled to. Your new bills will be issued in March 2026.