The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has just updated the rateable values of all commercial, and other non-domestic, properties in England and Wales.
These future values will take effect from 1 April next year.
Revaluations are carried out every three years in England and Wales to reflect changes in the property market. Your local council uses rateable values to calculate business rate bills. A rateable value is not the same as what you pay in business rates or rent.
Now, you can now see the future rateable value of your property using the Government’s busiess rates valuation service on GOV.UK.
You can also use this to get an estimate of what your business rates bill might be from 1 April 2026. Be aware, this is only intended to give an indication and may not take into account any relief you may be eligible for.
Also, an increase in your rateable value does not necessarily mean your business rates bill will go up by a similar amount. Your local council will calculate your bill by multiplying your rateable value by the relevant multiplier set by the UK and Welsh governments. They will then determine whether to apply any reliefs you are eligible for.
For those seeing bill increases - reflecting many sectors’ post-Covid recovery - the Government says it’s providing a support package worth £4.3bn over the next three years, including the Supporting Small Business scheme, worth over £500m to help the smallest businesses.
It is also expanding the scheme to businesses who were eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief, protecting independent pubs and shops as they transition to permanently lower tax rates. This additional support is worth £1.3bn.
The Welsh Government has also announced similar plans, which you can view here.
What to do next…
Businesses using it can sign into their valuation account here to check the details of their store(s) are up to date, see how the valuation is worked out and alter any errors.
They can also use the account to compare a property’s rateable value with similar properties in the area.
Currently, businesses can only request changes to the current valuation but have until 31 March 2026 to request any changes to the current rateable value. After 1 April, they will only be able to make changes to future rateable values.
For any questions about business rates, reliefs or payments, you should contact your local council.
You can also find everything you need to know about the 2026 revaluation at the dedicated page here.
No comments yet