Business Rates Relief Advice

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Are you receiving all the business rates relief you are entitled to?

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Business rates relief can substantially reduce a company’s bill, but it is not always applied automatically. Eligibility may depend on the rateable value, the property’s use, the identity of the ratepayer and whether the business occupies any other premises. Business Rate Advisors Ltd helps businesses throughout England and Wales check their entitlement, apply for missing relief and challenge council decisions where there is a proper basis for doing so. You will deal directly with Steve Adams or Mark Allen throughout your case.

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Request a free initial review

Send us your latest business rates bill together with the property address and a brief explanation of how the premises are occupied. We will check the initial information and explain whether any relief appears to be missing or incorrectly calculated.

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What is business rates relief?

Business rates relief is a reduction applied to the amount payable on a non-domestic property. Some forms of relief are mandatory, while others are awarded at the discretion of the local council. Different rules apply in England and Wales. Relief schemes, thresholds and discounts can also change between financial years, so entitlement should be checked against the period covered by the bill. Relief should not be confused with a reduction in rateable value. The Valuation Office Agency determines the rateable value, while the local council calculates the bill and applies any relief.

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A business can therefore have the correct rateable value but still be paying too much because the council has:

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• Failed to apply an available relief

• Used the wrong occupation date

• Recorded the wrong ratepayer

• Overlooked another qualifying property

• Removed relief without sufficient explanation

• Applied an incorrect multiplier

• Misunderstood how the premises are used

• Failed to update an account following a property alteration

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We examine both the assessment and the council account before advising what action is required. 

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Small Business Rate Relief in England

In England, Small Business Rate Relief may be available where a business occupies one property with a rateable value below £15,000.

For an eligible business:

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• A property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less can receive 100% relief

• Relief reduces gradually between rateable values of £12,001 and £15,000

• No Small Business Rate Relief is normally available at £15,000 or above

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Businesses occupying more than one property may still qualify in limited circumstances. Where a business acquires a second property on or after 27 November 2025, it may retain existing relief on its main property for up to 36 months. After that period, entitlement will depend on the individual and combined rateable values of the additional properties. The council must be told about additional premises. Failure to report a change can result in relief being removed retrospectively and a substantial backdated bill.

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Small Business Rates Relief in Wales

Wales has a separate Small Business Rates Relief scheme.

Eligible Welsh business premises with a rateable value of up to £6,000 can receive 100% relief. Relief is tapered between £6,001 and £12,000. The number of properties that can receive relief is generally limited to two properties occupied by the same business within each local authority area. Different provisions can apply to certain categories, including qualifying childcare premises and smaller post offices. Because the English and Welsh thresholds are different, advice found online for an English property should not be applied to a property in Wales.

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Retail, hospitality and leisure properties

The previous Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief scheme in England ended on 31 March 2026.

From 1 April 2026, qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England with rateable values below £500,000 are generally charged using one of two lower business rates multipliers. This is part of the calculation of the bill rather than the previous percentage-based relief scheme. The council must still decide whether the property’s use meets the qualifying conditions. Problems can arise where the billing record contains an outdated or inaccurate property description.

Examples of potentially qualifying premises may include:

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• Shops

• Restaurants and cafés

• Pubs and bars

• Hotels and guest accommodation

• Cinemas

• Gyms and leisure facilities

• Visitor attractions

• Certain hospitality venues

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Eligibility depends on the actual use of the premises and the applicable regulations. A retail element within a mainly non-retail property will not necessarily bring the entire assessment within the lower multiplier.

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Pubs and live music venues in England

Eligible pubs and live music venues in England can receive a 15% business rates reduction for the 2026/27 financial year, in addition to the support provided through the applicable multiplier. The qualifying criteria are specific. For example, not every premises selling alcohol will necessarily meet the definition of a qualifying pub. We can review the property use, the council’s decision and the calculation shown on the bill.

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Hospitality relief in Wales

For 2026/27, qualifying occupied food and drink hospitality properties in Wales can receive 15% relief from their net business rates liability.

The scheme can include qualifying:

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• Pubs

• Restaurants

• Cafés

• Bars

• Live music venues

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The total relief is subject to a cash cap of £110,000 for each business across all its eligible properties in Wales. Applications must be made through the relevant Welsh local authority within the scheme deadline. This scheme is narrower than the previous retail, leisure and hospitality arrangements, so businesses should not assume that relief received in an earlier year will continue unchanged.

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Charitable and Community Amateur Sports Club relief

Properties occupied and mainly used for charitable purposes may qualify for mandatory charitable rate relief.

Registered Community Amateur Sports Clubs may also qualify. The council may award further discretionary relief depending on its local policy.

The existence of a registered charity or CASC does not settle every case. The council may examine:

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• Which organisation occupies the property

• The activities carried out there

• Whether the use is mainly charitable

• Any commercial activity

• Relationships with other organisations

• Whether parts of the property are sublet or used by third parties

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Non-profit and voluntary organisations that do not qualify for mandatory charitable relief may still be considered for discretionary relief.

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Empty-property relief

Most empty commercial properties receive an initial period during which no business rates are payable. After that period, full empty-property rates may become due unless a continuing exemption applies.

Different rules can apply to:

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• Industrial properties and warehouses

• Listed buildings

• Properties with a low rateable value

• Properties owned by charities

• Properties owned by Community Amateur Sports Clubs

• Properties where occupation is prohibited by law

• Properties subject to certain insolvency proceedings

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Empty-property cases often depend on the exact vacation date, the condition of the premises and whether any subsequent occupation was genuine and sufficient to begin a new exemption period.

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Partly occupied property relief

Where part of a property is temporarily unoccupied, the council may use its discretion to request a temporary division of the rateable value under section 44A of the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

This can be relevant where:

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• A business is gradually moving into or out of a property

• Part of the premises cannot be used temporarily

• A tenant occupies only part of a larger assessment

• Refurbishment is being completed in phases

• Part of a warehouse or office is temporarily surplus

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The relief is not automatic. Clear plans, occupation dates, photographs and an explanation of why the arrangement is temporary will normally be required. Where the division is permanent, a property split through the Valuation Office may be more appropriate.

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Hardship and discretionary relief

Councils have powers to reduce business rates where a ratepayer would otherwise suffer hardship and granting relief would be in the interests of local Council Tax payers.

The threshold is normally high. An application may require:

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• Recent accounts

• Cash-flow forecasts

• Bank statements

• Details of creditors and liabilities

• An explanation of the cause of the difficulty

• Evidence of the business’s importance to the local community

• Details of steps taken to reduce costs or secure finance

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Councils can also operate local discretionary schemes supporting organisations or businesses that contribute to the local community or economy. Each council sets its own policy, so a decision made in one area may not apply in another.

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Transitional and Supporting Small Business Relief

A revaluation can produce a significant change in a property’s rateable value and business rates liability. Transitional Relief may limit how quickly a bill increases following a revaluation. Supporting Small Business Relief may also apply where a business loses some or all of its Small Business Rate Relief or certain other support because of the 2026 revaluation.

These reductions can make business rates bills difficult to check. A bill may include several calculations covering different dates, reliefs and multipliers. We can review the calculation and explain how the council has arrived at the amount payable.

 

Other reliefs and exemptions

Depending on the property and its use, other assistance may include:

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• Rural rate relief

• Improvement relief

• Freeport relief

• Enterprise Zone relief

• Relief for qualifying heat networks

• Relief for eligible electric vehicle charging properties

• Relief for properties used for disabled-person training or welfare

• Exemptions for certain agricultural properties

• Local discretionary relief schemes

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Not every reduction is claimed through the same process. Some are administered by the council, while others depend on information recorded by the Valuation Office.

What information will be needed?

For an initial review, please provide:

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• The latest business rates bill

• The full property address

• The rateable value and VOA reference number

• The name of the ratepayer

• The occupation start date

• Details of any other properties occupied by the business

• A description of the business and property use

• Previous relief decisions

• Any application already submitted

• Correspondence from the council

• Details of any recent change in occupation or use

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For discretionary or hardship applications, further financial and supporting evidence may be required.

How we can help

Our business rates relief service can include:

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• Checking whether the bill contains the correct relief

• Reviewing Small Business Rate Relief entitlement

• Checking additional-property restrictions

• Reviewing the multiplier used by the council

• Assessing charitable, discretionary or hardship relief

• Preparing part-occupation applications

• Checking empty-property exemptions

• Reviewing retail, hospitality and sector-specific support

• Preparing supporting statements and evidence

• Contacting the council on your behalf

• Challenging an adverse decision where appropriate

• Checking backdated calculations

• Reviewing revised bills and refunds

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We will give you a realistic assessment. We will not recommend an application where the facts do not support entitlement.

Why choose Business Rate Advisors Ltd? Business Rate Advisors Ltd has assisted businesses with rating and council liability matters since 2013. You will deal directly with Steve Adams or Mark Allen. We examine the property, occupation, rateable value and billing history rather than looking at one entry on the bill in isolation. Where relief has been refused, we consider the council’s reasons and identify the evidence needed to address them.

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Request a free business rates relief review

Send us your latest business rates bill and a brief description of your business and premises. Please also tell us about any other commercial properties you occupy.

We will review the initial information and explain whether any relief appears to be missing or incorrectly calculated.

Call Steve Adams: 07415048643
Call Mark Allen: 07376443943
Office: 01225667747