Business rates revaluation: what changed from April 2026

 

The 2026 business rates revaluation took effect in England and Wales on 1 April 2026. New rateable values are based on open-market rental values at 1 April 2024, so the bill you received this year may look very different from last year's.

 

The biggest structural change is the move to five multipliers from April 2026:

 

- Small-business retail, hospitality and leisure (rateable value under £51,000): 38.2p

- Small-business non-RHL (under £51,000): 43.2p

- Standard RHL (£51,000 to £499,999): 43p

- Standard non-RHL (£51,000 to £499,999): 48p

- High-value properties (£500,000 and above): 50.8p

 

The temporary 40% retail, hospitality and leisure relief ended on 31 March 2026 — you can't make a new claim. Instead, RHL businesses now benefit from permanently lower multipliers. If you lost some or all of your RHL relief, you may be eligible for supporting small business relief, and transitional relief caps sharp increases so changes are phased in gradually.

 

What to do now: check your new rateable value using the Valuation Office's online service, confirm which multiplier applies, and contact your local council about relief eligibility. If the new value looks wrong, you can challenge it through your business rates valuation account.