01
Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR)
Properties with RV ≤ £15,000
What you getUp to 100%
Business Rates Relief
Check What You Could Save in 2026/27
Small business rates relief can cut your bill to £0 — here's how to check eligibility and reduce business rates today
Business rates relief reduces or removes the non-domestic rates a business pays on its property. If your property's rateable value is £12,000 or less, you may qualify for 100% small business rates relief — paying nothing at all. Use our free checker below to see what you're owed.
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Section 1
What Is Business Rates Relief?
Business rates relief is a government scheme that reduces the amount of non-domestic (business) rates a company pays on the property it occupies. Rates are based on your property's rateable value (RV) — an estimate of its open market rental value, set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) — multiplied by a government-set “multiplier.”
A national revaluation took effect on 1 April 2026, resetting rateable values across England and Wales based on rental data from 1 April 2024. If you haven't checked your new rateable value yet, this is the first thing to do — it determines every relief you're eligible for.
See which relief applies to my property →Relief schemes
Types of business rates relief
02
Supporting Small Business Relief (SSBR)
Businesses hit by a large bill rise after revaluation
What you getCaps increases at £800 or 5–30%
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Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Relief
Shops, pubs, restaurants, gyms, hotels
What you getPercentage discount (check current rate)
04
Rural Rate Relief
Sole shops/pubs/post offices in small rural settlements
What you getUp to 100%
05
Charitable Rate Relief
Registered charities and CASCs
What you getUp to 80% mandatory
06
Empty Property Relief
Vacant commercial property
What you getTemporary exemption
Section 2
Small Business Rates Relief — Full 2026/27 Eligibility Guide
Small business rates relief (SBRR) is the relief most UK businesses ask about — and the one with the biggest potential saving.
Eligibility
Do I qualify for small business rates relief?
You can qualify for small business rates relief in England if:
- You occupy one business property, or
- You occupy one main property plus additional properties, provided each additional property has a rateable value below £2,899, and the combined rateable value of all your properties stays under £20,000 (£28,000 in Greater London)
2026/27 Small Business Rates Relief thresholds (England)
Rateable valueRelief you get
£12,000 or less100% relief — you pay nothing
£12,001–£15,000Tapered relief, sliding from 100% down to 0%
Over £15,000No small business rates relief (but you may still get the lower small business multiplier up to £51,000 RV)
Example: A shop with a rateable value of £13,500 sits roughly halfway between £12,001 and £15,000, so it would receive relief tapered to around 50% — check the exact figure with your local authority, since taper calculations are done to the pound.
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How small business rates relief interacts with the 2026 revaluation
If the April 2026 revaluation pushed your rateable value above £12,000 or £15,000 for the first time, two protections may apply:
Supporting Small Business Relief (SSBR) caps how much your bill can rise in one year — by no more than £800 or 5–30% of last year's bill, whichever is greater, depending on your new rateable value band.
Check, Challenge, Appeal (CCA) — if you believe your new rateable value is wrong, you can formally challenge it with the VOA. If successful and your RV drops back under £12,000, you could return to paying £0.
Section 3
How to Reduce Business Rates — 7 Practical Strategies
Even if you don't qualify for full small business rates relief, there are several legitimate ways to reduce business rates:
Check your rateable value is accurate.
RVs are based on rental evidence from a set valuation date (currently 1 April 2024). If your property has defects, restricted access, or was mis-measured, you may have grounds to challenge it via the VOA’s Check, Challenge, Appeal process.
Claim every relief you’re entitled to.
Many businesses only claim SBRR and miss Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Relief, Rural Rate Relief, or charitable/CASC relief — these aren’t applied automatically in every case.
Use Supporting Small Business Relief if your bill has jumped.
This caps post-revaluation increases even if you no longer qualify for full SBRR.
Review your multiplier.
Properties with a rateable value below £51,000 usually qualify for the lower small business multiplier rather than the standard multiplier — make sure your local authority has applied the correct one.
Consider splitting or restructuring occupied space, where genuinely justified,
since rateable value is calculated per hereditament (assessable unit) — this needs professional advice, not DIY guesswork.
Apply for empty property relief during any period the premises are genuinely vacant.
Get a professional rating agent or accountant to audit your bill.
RV challenges and relief applications are technical; a regulated specialist can often spot savings a business owner would miss, and many only charge on success.
Section 4
How to Apply for Business Rates Relief
1
Find your rateable value on the VOA’s “Find a Business Rates Valuation” service.
2
Contact your local council (billing authority) — most reliefs are applied by your local authority, not central government.
3
For SBRR, most authorities require a short application form confirming your property count and combined rateable value.
4
If your rateable value seems wrong, register for the Check, Challenge, Appeal service before applying for relief, since a successful challenge changes what you’re eligible for.
5
Keep your relief under review — thresholds, multipliers, and revaluations change, most recently on 1 April 2026.
FAQ Section
Frequently asked questions
What is the rateable value threshold for small business rates relief?
In England, properties with a rateable value of £12,000 or less get 100% small business rates relief. Relief tapers down between £12,001 and £15,000, and properties above £15,000 don’t qualify.
Do I automatically get small business rates relief?
No. In most areas you must apply to your local council, even if you meet the rateable value criteria. Some councils apply it automatically if you already claim it on another property, but you should always confirm directly with your local authority.
Can I get business rates relief on more than one property?
Yes, but only if each additional property has a rateable value below £2,899, and your total combined rateable value across all properties stays below £20,000 (£28,000 in London).
What happened to business rates in the 2026 revaluation?
On 1 April 2026, the VOA reset all rateable values in England and Wales using rental data from 1 April 2024. Many properties saw increases, particularly offices, with London seeing the sharpest rises. Supporting Small Business Relief caps how quickly increased bills take effect.
How much can Supporting Small Business Relief save me?
It doesn’t reduce your bill below the correct amount — it limits how fast increases can hit you, capping rises at £800 or 5–30% of your previous year’s bill, depending on your rateable value band.
Is business rates relief different in Scotland and Wales?
Yes. Scotland and Wales operate separate small business relief schemes with different thresholds — Wales’ full relief threshold is £6,000, compared with England’s £12,000. Always check the relevant devolved government’s rules.