Small business rate relief 2026/27
In England you pay no business rates on a property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less if it’s the only property your business uses. Between £12,001 and £15,000 the relief tapers from 100% to 0%. Apply through your local council; it decides.
How much relief you get (England)
| Rateable value | Small business rate relief |
|---|---|
| £12,000 or less | 100%: nothing to pay |
| £13,500 | 50% |
| £14,000 | about 33% |
| £15,000 or more | none |
Even without the relief, properties under £51,000 use the lower small business multiplier: 43.2p in 2026/27, or 38.2p for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure property.
If you use more than one property
When you take on a second property you keep relief on your main property for 12 months (if you got the second property before 27 November 2025) or 36 months (on or after 27 November 2025). After that you can still get it if none of your other properties has a rateable value above £2,899 and the total rateable value of all your properties is under £20,000 (£28,000 in London).
Lost relief at the 2026 revaluation?
If your bill went up at the revaluation and you lost some or all of your small business, rural or retail, hospitality and leisure relief, supporting small business relief limits the rise in 2026/27 to £800 or a percentage cap (5% up to £20,000 RV, £28,000 in London; 15% up to £100,000; 30% above), whichever is greater, compared with your 2025/26 bill.
Wales
Wales has its own scheme. Generally, relief is 100% up to a rateable value of £6,000, tapering to nothing at £12,000, with different rules for some property types. Check with your council and Business Wales.
How to claim
Contact your local council. It decides eligibility and can also tell you about other reliefs you can get on top. Our free relief check (search your property, then choose “Check my reliefs free” on your result) looks at small business rate relief, the RHL multipliers, pubs relief, rural, charitable and empty-property relief. If something looks due, a £29 relief claim pack gives you a letter to send your council. The council decides.
Compare your 2026 rateable value with similar properties nearby. About 30 seconds, no sign-up, no card.
Does a challenge make sense if I get full relief?
No. If small business rate relief already takes your bill to £0, a lower rateable value would not save you money. That’s why we don’t sell Challenge packs at a rateable value of £12,000 or less.
Questions
What is the small business rate relief threshold for 2026/27?
In England, a business using one property pays nothing if its rateable value is £12,000 or less. Between £12,001 and £15,000 the relief reduces gradually from 100% to 0%.
Do I need to apply for small business rate relief?
Contact your local council to check whether you are eligible and how to get it. The council decides and applies it to your bill.
Can I get small business rate relief with two properties?
You keep relief on your main property for 12 months after getting a second property (36 months if you got it on or after 27 November 2025). After that you can still get it if none of your other properties has a rateable value above £2,899 and the total is under £20,000 (£28,000 in London).
What is supporting small business relief?
If your bill rose at the 2026 revaluation and you lost some or all of your small business, rural or retail, hospitality and leisure relief, your 2026/27 bill rises by no more than £800 or a 5%, 15% or 30% cap (by rateable value), whichever is greater.
- GOV.UK: Small business rate relief
- GOV.UK: Supporting small business relief
- GOV.UK: Business rates relief (all types)
- Business Wales: Small business rates relief
Checked against GOV.UK and Business Wales on 13 October 2026. Rules change; if anything differs, GOV.UK and your council are right. Rightly Rated is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Valuation Office, HMRC or any council.
Rightly Rated is a self-serve evidence tool, not a rating surveyor or adviser. Figures come from the Valuation Office’s published 2026 rating list and from what you tell us. We do not act for you with the Valuation Office, and a challenge can lower, keep or raise a rateable value.