Changes to Business Rates from April 2026

From 1 April 2026, there will be significant changes to how Business Rates charge is calculated. These changes may affect the amount you pay. 

What are the main changes?

• Autumn Budget 2025 Business Rate relief package
• Retail, hospitality and leisure relief (RHL) ends on 31 March 2026
• New non-domestic rates multipliers to be introduced from 1 April 2026
• Revaluation 2026
• Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief 2026 to 2027

Budget 2025 Business Rates relief package

At the Autumn Budget on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor announced a package of measure which provide support to businesses in England:

• New non-domestic rates multipliers for 2026/27
• An amended transitional relief scheme
• An amended supporting small business scheme
• Extending the small business rate relief grace period
• 100% relief for eligible electric vehicle charging points and electric vehicle only forecourts

Business rates multipliers: qualifying retail, hospitality or leisure (from 2026)

From 1 April 2026, the government will replace retail, hospitality and leisure relief with two lower business rates multipliers for properties with rateable values below £500,000.

The authority will be responsible for determining which properties are eligible for these multipliers in line with government guidance.

New multipliers from April 2026

Transitional relief

To support ratepayers facing large bill increases at the revaluation the government is introducing a redesigned transitional relief scheme worth £3.2 billion.

Transitional relief supplement

A one pence (1p) supplement to the relevant tax rate for ratepayers who do not receive transitional relief or the supporting small business scheme to partially fund transitional relief. This will apply for one year from 1 April 2026.

2026 supporting small business scheme

Bill increases for businesses losing some or all of their small business rates relief or rural rate relief will be capped at the higher of £800 or the relevant transitional relief caps from 1 April 2026. The 2026 supporting small business relief scheme has been expanded to also include ratepayers losing their retail, hospitality and leisure relief. The government has also announced a one-year extension of the 2023 supporting small business scheme from 1 April 2026. This support is applied before changes in other reliefs and local supplements.

Pubs and live music venue relief 2026 to 2027

This relief is designed to help pubs and live music venues; they will be entitled to a further reduction on their bills of 15% after any other eligible rate relief(s) have been applied. The relief applies only to occupied properties.

Full eligibility details can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Extending the small business rate relief (SBRR) grace period from one to three years

At the budget government announced that those businesses take on a second property from 27 November 2025 that would cause them to lose their small business rate relief will keep the relief on their first property for three years after they take on that second property, instead of just one year. It should be noted however that whilst this relief has been announced regulations have not yet been amended to bring this into force.

100% relief for eligible electric vehicle charging points and electric vehicle only forecourts (EVCP relief)

A ten year 100% Business Rates relief for electric vehicle charging points separately assessed by the Valuation Office Agency and electric vehicle only forecourts to ensure that they face no Business Rates liability. The regulations to bring this into force will be laid down in due course.

Business Rates 2026 revaluation

Every three years, the government reviews the rental values of business properties in England and Wales. This process is called revaluation. It ensures businesses pay the correct amount of business rates based on current property values.

The next revaluation comes into effect on 1 April 2026, using market values determined as of 1 April 2024. As a result your property’s rateable value may change. Some will go down and others will go up.

What is a rateable value?

It’s the estimated annual rent your property could have been let for on the valuation date. It is not the same as the rent you currently pay. The authority uses these rateable values to calculate your Business Rates bill.

Following completion of the revaluation, the Valuation Office Agency will publish a full list of all non-domestic properties.

Contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA)

Bradford Council sends your Business Rates bill, but the VOA sets your property’s value. If you have questions about your rateable value, you need to contact the VOA.

You can use VOA online services to:

• Find your Business Rates valuation.
• Update property details (e.g., floor size, parking) You’ll need a business rates valuation account to sign in or register.
• Challenge your rateable value if you think it’s too high (you must continue paying your bill until a decision is made).

Visit the gov.uk website for more help with the 2026 Business Rates revaluation.