Business Rates 2026/27 England: New Multipliers and the 2026 Revaluation

Business rates are the tax on most non-domestic (commercial) property in England - shops, offices, pubs, warehouses and factories. From 1 April 2026 two things changed at once: a full revaluation gave every property a new rateable value, and a new set of multipliers took effect, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure.

This guide covers England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own business rates systems with different multipliers.

The 2026 revaluation

A revaluation updates the rateable value of every property. The 2026 revaluation took effect on 1 April 2026 and is based on open-market rental values as at 1 April 2024 (the antecedent valuation date). The Valuation Office revalues properties every three years so that bills track changes in the rental market across sectors and regions.

Crucially, your rateable value is not your bill. The council multiplies it by a multiplier and then applies any relief to work out what you actually pay.

The 2026/27 multipliers

For 2026/27 England has five multipliers (pence per pound of rateable value), confirmed in the government's official notification:

Multiplier	Rate	Applies to
Small business	43.2p	Rateable value up to £50,999
Standard	48.0p	Rateable value £51,000 and above (below £500,000)
Small business RHL	38.2p	RHL property, rateable value up to £50,999
Standard RHL	43.0p	RHL property, rateable value £51,000 to £499,999
High-value	50.8p	Any property, rateable value £500,000 and above

The two RHL multipliers (retail, hospitality and leisure) sit 5p below their national equivalents. This is a permanent tax cut worth close to £1 billion a year, benefitting over 750,000 RHL properties, funded by the higher 50.8p multiplier on the most valuable properties.

Worked examples

• A high-street shop, rateable value £30,000 (RHL). Uses the small business RHL multiplier: £30,000 x 0.382 = £11,460 a year before relief.
• A non-RHL office, rateable value £30,000. Uses the small business multiplier: £30,000 x 0.432 = £12,960 a year before relief.
• A small cafe, rateable value £11,000. Below £12,000, so Small Business Rates Relief gives 100% relief - £0 to pay.
• A large distribution centre, rateable value £600,000. Uses the high-value multiplier: £600,000 x 0.508 = £304,800 a year.

Reliefs: check before you pay

The multiplier is only the starting point. The main relief is Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR):

• 100% relief (nothing to pay) where the rateable value is under £12,000;
• tapered relief from 100% down to nil between £12,000 and £15,000;
• generally available where you occupy a single property (with limited exceptions for very small additional properties).

Retail, hospitality and leisure occupiers should also check for any sector-specific relief for the year, and any transitional arrangements that phase in large bill changes after a revaluation. Reliefs are applied by your local council, so check your bill and apply if a relief is not already showing.

Related guides

Business rates sit alongside a company's other obligations. See the UK company annual filing requirements for accounts, the confirmation statement and Corporation Tax, and self-employed allowable expenses if you run your business as a sole trader.