Changes to business rate multipliers from April 2026
Before the 1 April 2026 the Government set two multipliers for each financial year based on the rateable value of a property:
- The Small business multiplier: for properties with a rateable value (RV) below £51,000 and
- The Standard multiplier: for properties with an RV of £51,000 and above
More details on current rateable values can be found at How your rates are calculated – GOV.UK
From April 2026, there are five new business rate multipliers based on property type and rateable value. Including lower rates for Retail Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) properties along with higher multipliers for high-value properties.
- Small business RHL multiplier: Retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) businesses with RV below £51,000
- Small business non-RHL multiplier: Non-RHL businesses with RV below £51,000
- Standard RHL multiplier: RHL businesses with RV between £51,000 and £499,999
- Standard non-RHL multiplier: Non-RHL businesses with RV between £51,000 and £499,999
- Large property multiplier: For all properties with RV of £500,000 and above
| Multiplier Type | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Small business (non-RHL, RV less than £51,000) | 49.9p | 43.2p |
| Standard (non-RHL,RV £51,000 to £499,999) | 55.5p | 48.0p |
| Small business RHL (RV less than or equal to £51,000 | – | 38.2p |
| Standard RHL (RV £51,000 to £499,999) | – | 43.0p |
| High-value (all, RV greater than or equal to £500,000) | – | 50.8p |
Will I qualify for a RHL multiplier?
We have reviewed our property database to determine which multiplier should apply to each business and contacting ratepayers where we have needed more information to determine eligibility for the RHL multipliers. You should have received a letter or email inviting you to take part in our survey, but if you believe that the wrong multiplier has been used to calculate your bill, visit Business Rates Multipliers: Qualifying Retail, Hospitality or Leisure (GOV.UK) for the governments guidance for qualifying Retail Hospitality and Leisure criteria and then an application can be made through the Wealden grant approval portal, if you have not registered with the portal before, you will need to do so. Enter the Quick Code 658B7O and this will take you directly to the scheme.
The new multipliers coincide with a revaluation of non-domestic properties.
Revaluation
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has updated all non‑domestic rateable values in England and Wales, effective from 1 April 2026. Revaluations occur every three years to reflect property market changes and are used by the Council to calculate business rate bills. Find out everything you need to know about the 2026 revaluation on GOV.UK.
View your new business rates valuation
An increase in your rateable value does not necessarily mean that your business rates bill will go up by a similar amount.
Transitional Relief and Transitional Relief Supplement
To support ratepayers facing large bill increases the government has reintroduced a Transitional Relief scheme. Transitional Relief supports businesses by capping increases caused by changes to rateable values. You will get transitional relief if your bill goes up or down by more than a certain amount. This means changes to your bill are phased in gradually. How much your bill can change by from one year to the next depends on your property’s rateable value and whether your bill is increasing or decreasing as a result of revaluation. You stop getting transitional relief when your bill reaches the full amount set by a revaluation.
| Rateable Value | 2026 to 2027 |
|---|---|
| Up to £20,000 (£28,000 in London) | 5% |
| £20,001 (£28,001 in London) to £100,000 | 15% |
| Over £100,000 | 30% |
If your business does not qualify for Transitional Relief or the Supporting Small Business scheme, you will have to pay a 1p supplement on your tax rate to partially fund Transitional Relief. This will apply for one year from 1 April 2026.
Supporting Small Business Scheme
From April 2026, business rates will be recalculated using new rateable values. Some small businesses may lose eligibility for rural or Small Business Rates Relief, but any resulting increase will be capped automatically. Bills can only rise by a set percentage or £800 per year, whichever is higher.
- Small shops (low property value): max 5% increase in the first year
- Medium businesses: max 15%
- Large businesses: max 30%
Businesses still receiving Supporting Small Business Relief from the 2023 revaluation will have it extended for 12 months, with increases capped at £800 or the relevant Transitional Relief limit. This protection also applies to RHL properties moving away from RHL relief.
Extending the Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) grace-period from one to three years.
Businesses will now keep their Small Business Rates Relief on their first property for three years after they take on a second property, instead of just one year.
Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief 2026/27
In 2026/27, eligible pubs and live music venues will benefit from 15% business rates relief.
Relief will be awarded to pubs which meet the following criteria:
- Open to the public
- Allow free entry other than when occasional entertainment is provided
- Allow drinking without requiring food to be consumed
- Permit drinks to be purchased at a bar
This will not include:
- Restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, snack bars
- Hotels, guesthouses, boarding houses
- Sporting venues
- Festival sites, theatres, cinemas
- Museums, exhibition halls
- Casinos
Live music venues are properties that are wholly or mainly used for the performance of live music for the purpose of entertaining an audience. They can be used for other activities but only if those other activities are:
- Ancillary or incidental to the performance of live music (e.g. the sale of food or drink to audience members).
- Do not affect the primary use of the premises for the performance of live music (e.g. because the activities are infrequent such as use of the venue as a polling station or fortnightly community event).
Properties are not a live music venue for the purpose of this relief if the property is wholly or mainly used as a nightclub or a theatre.
If you meet one of the above definitions, you will benefit from 15% business rates relief in 2026-27. This relief will apply on top of any Transitional Relief or Supporting Small Business Relief you are eligible for.
If relief has not been awarded on your bill and you think that it should be, an application can be made through the Wealden grant approval portal, If you have not registered with the portal before, you will need to do so. Enter the Quick Code 658B7N and this will take you directly to the scheme.