Business rates relief calculator 2026/27
For one property in England or Wales. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Business rates relief calculator: key facts
- Your bill before relief is rateable value × multiplier. In England for 2026/27 the multiplier runs from 38.2p to 50.8p; in Wales it's 0.350, 0.502 or 0.515.
- Small business rate relief (England): nothing to pay if your only property has a rateable value of £12,000 or less, with relief tapering to nothing at £15,000.
- Small business rates relief (Wales): full relief up to £6,000, tapering to nothing at £12,000, for up to two properties per business in each council area.
- Charitable relief takes up to 80% off for property used by a charity or community amateur sports club. You can't have it and small business rate relief together.
- Empty property relief: nothing to pay for 3 months after a property becomes empty (6 months for industrial property), and longer for listed buildings and the smallest properties.
- Pubs and live music venues in England get 15% off in 2026/27; in Wales, pubs, restaurants, cafes and bars can get 15% Food and Drink Hospitality Rates Relief.
- The calculator leaves out transitional relief, supporting small business relief and local discretionary relief, so your council's bill may be lower or higher than the estimate.
How does the business rates relief calculator work?
It follows the same order your council uses: pick the multiplier for your property, multiply it by the rateable value to get the bill before relief, then take off each relief that applies, in the order the rules set, to get an estimated bill for the year.
- Multiplier. In England it depends on your rateable value and whether the property counts as retail, hospitality or leisure (RHL). In Wales it depends on the rateable value and the property's description in the rating list.
- Bill before relief. Rateable value × multiplier. For example, £20,000 × 0.432 = £8,640.
- Mandatory reliefs. Small business rate relief or charitable relief (not both), rural rate relief, or empty property relief if the property is empty.
- Pubs or hospitality relief. 15% off what's left after the reliefs above, for qualifying properties.
- Estimated bill for the year. What's left. Councils charge by the day, so if something changes during the year your bill is worked out for each part separately.
The calculator uses the 2026/27 figures published on GOV.UK, in the regulations on legislation.gov.uk and on the Welsh Government's Business Wales site, all checked on 11 November 2026. It runs in your browser and does not send what you type anywhere.
What does the calculator leave out?
It doesn't include transitional relief, supporting small business relief, improvement relief, hardship relief, enterprise zone or freeport relief, local discretionary relief, or anything that depends on dates within the year. These can only be worked out by your council from your own records, so your council's bill is always the real figure.
Some reliefs need information only your council has, such as last year's bill or the dates something changed. We've left these out rather than guess:
- Transitional relief (England): limits how much a bill can rise because of the 2026 revaluation. For 2026/27 the cap is 5%, 15% or 30% depending on rateable value, compared with your previous bill. Your council applies it automatically.
- Supporting small business relief (England): if you lost some or all of small business, rural or retail, hospitality and leisure relief at the revaluation, your bill rises by no more than £800 or a percentage cap, whichever is greater, compared with your 2025/26 bill after relief.
- Transitional relief in Wales: increases over £300 caused by the revaluation are phased in, with 33% of the extra payable in 2026/27 and 66% in 2027/28.
- Improvement relief, hardship relief, enterprise zone, freeport and heat network relief, and local discretionary relief, including any council top-up of charitable relief to 100%.
- Extra small business rates relief in Wales for post offices and registered childcare premises.
- City of London multipliers, which are different.
- Part-year changes, partly empty property, and the exact start and end dates of empty property relief.
- Changes from 1 April 2027. New multipliers, higher pubs relief and higher small business rate relief thresholds for retail, hospitality and leisure property were announced at the Budget on 28 October 2026, due from 1 April 2027 and subject to regulations.
Which multiplier applies to my property in 2026/27?
In England, retail, hospitality and leisure property pays 38.2p below £51,000 rateable value and 43p from £51,000 to £499,999; other property pays 43.2p and 48p; anything at £500,000 or more pays 50.8p. In Wales, smaller shops pay 0.350, most property pays 0.502 and property above £100,000 pays 0.515.
| England, 2026/27 | Under £51,000 | £51,000 to £499,999 | £500,000 or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail, hospitality and leisure property (occupied) | 38.2p | 43p | 50.8p |
| Other property, and any empty property | 43.2p | 48p |
The lower retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers replaced the old 40% retail, hospitality and leisure relief from 1 April 2026. In law they only apply to occupied property, so an empty shop is charged on the small business or standard multiplier. You're on the small business multiplier if your rateable value is under £51,000, even if you don't get small business rate relief.
| Wales, 2026/27 | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Retail: rateable value under £51,000 and described as a shop, kiosk, pharmacy or post office in the rating list | 0.350 |
| Standard: most other property up to £100,000, and some public-service property above it | 0.502 |
| Higher: rateable value above £100,000 | 0.515 |
In Wales the multiplier depends on the description and applies whether the property is occupied or empty. Cafes, pubs, restaurants, salons and banks are not on the retail multiplier in 2026/27.
How does small business rate relief work?
In England, if your business uses one property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less, you pay no business rates. Between £12,001 and £15,000 the relief tapers from 100% to 0%. In Wales, full relief runs up to £6,000 and tapers to nothing at £12,000.
England
The taper is set out in the regulations: at £13,500 you get 50% off and at £14,000 about 33% off. The relief is for occupied property only. You can't get it alongside charitable rate relief.
If you use more than one property, the rules are:
- 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 if you got it on or after 27 November 2025.
- After that, you can still get relief on your main property 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).
- The relief goes on the main property only, and the percentage depends on that property's own rateable value.
Announced at the Budget on 28 October 2026 and due from 1 April 2027, subject to regulations: qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure property gets full relief up to £18,000, tapering to £21,000; the total-value test becomes a single £29,999 across England; and vape shops lose small business rate relief.
Wales
- Rateable value up to £6,000: 100% relief. £6,001 to £12,000: tapering from 100% to 0% (for example £9,000 gets 50%).
- Limited to two properties per business in each council area.
- Only for occupied property, and not for charities (they get charitable relief instead).
- Post offices and registered childcare premises can get more.
How does charitable rate relief work?
Property used mainly for charitable purposes by a charity, or by a registered community amateur sports club, can get up to 80% off in England and 80% mandatory relief in Wales. The council can top it up to 100% with discretionary relief.
The calculator takes off 80%, the most the mandatory relief gives. Whether your council adds discretionary relief on top is up to it, so we leave that out.
- In England, private schools are excluded. Community amateur sports clubs must be registered with HMRC.
- You can't get charitable relief and small business rate relief at the same time. At very low rateable values (in England, under £12,600), small business rate relief would give more than 80%, but your council decides which applies.
- Your council may ask for proof, such as your charity registration number.
- Empty charity property: in England there's nothing to pay while it's empty if its next use will be mainly for charitable purposes (or, for a sports club, as the club). Wales has similar rules, and the council will also want the charity's latest accounts.
How does empty property relief work?
When a property becomes empty, there's nothing to pay for the first 3 months, or 6 months for industrial property such as warehouses. After that, full business rates are due, unless the property is listed, has a very low rateable value or is held by a charity for its next charitable use.
| Empty property | England | Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Most property | 3 months free, then full rates | 3 months free, then full rates |
| Industrial property (for example warehouses) | 6 months free | 6 months free |
| Listed buildings | Free until reoccupied | Free until reoccupied |
| Small properties | Free until reoccupied if rateable value under £2,900 | Free until reoccupied if rateable value under £2,600 |
| Charities and community amateur sports clubs | Free if next use will be mainly charitable (or as the club) | Free if conditions are met, including providing accounts |
- In Wales the property must have been occupied for more than 26 weeks before it became empty to get the initial free period, and you must tell the council within 60 days when it becomes empty or occupied (or risk a £500 fine).
- Small business rate relief, pubs or hospitality relief, and the lower retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers in England are for occupied property, so they stop when a property is empty.
- Your council may give relief for a short time on the empty part of a partly empty property. That's at its discretion, so the calculator doesn't include it.
What relief do pubs, hospitality and rural businesses get?
In England, qualifying pubs and live music venues get 15% off in 2026/27, after other reliefs. In Wales, pubs, restaurants, cafes, bars and live music venues can get 15% Food and Drink Hospitality Rates Relief, capped at £110,000 per business. England's rural rate relief means no business rates for the only village shop, post office, pub or petrol station in eligible small rural settlements.
Pubs and live music venues relief (England)
15% off what's left of the bill after other reliefs, with no cash cap. The pub must be occupied, open to the public, allow free entry (except for occasional entertainment), allow drinking without food and sell drinks at a bar. Nightclubs and theatres don't qualify. Announced at the Budget on 28 October 2026 and due from 1 April 2027: the relief rises to 35%. See business rates for pubs.
Food and Drink Hospitality Rates Relief (Wales)
15% off for occupied pubs, restaurants, cafes, bars and live music venues in 2026/27, applied after mandatory reliefs, and capped at £110,000 per business across Wales. Hotels and guest houses, shops, sports and leisure venues, and property on the retail multiplier don't qualify. You apply to your council, by 31 March 2027.
Rural rate relief (England)
If your business is in an eligible rural area with a population below 3,000 and is the only general store, food shop or post office with a rateable value up to £8,500, or the only pub or petrol station with a rateable value up to £12,500, you won't pay business rates. The property must be occupied, and your council keeps the list and maps of eligible areas.
Worked examples: what the calculator shows
Here are five results from the calculator, with the sums written out so you can check them. All are estimates for the full 2026/27 year, before transitional or supporting small business relief.
1. A shop in England, rateable value £13,500, the only property
| Multiplier (retail, rateable value under £51,000) | 38.2p |
| Bill before relief: £13,500 × 0.382 | £5,157 |
| Small business rate relief: 50% (halfway between £12,000 and £15,000) | − £2,578.50 |
| Estimated bill | £2,578.50 |
2. A pub in England, rateable value £40,000
| Multiplier (hospitality, under £51,000) | 38.2p |
| Bill before relief: £40,000 × 0.382 | £15,280 |
| Pubs and live music venues relief: 15% of £15,280 | − £2,292 |
| Estimated bill | £12,988 |
3. A charity shop in England, rateable value £25,000
| Multiplier (retail, under £51,000) | 38.2p |
| Bill before relief: £25,000 × 0.382 | £9,550 |
| Charitable rate relief: 80% of £9,550 | − £7,640 |
| Estimated bill (the council may top up the relief) | £1,910 |
4. An empty warehouse in England, rateable value £60,000
| Multiplier (not retail, hospitality or leisure, £51,000 to £499,999) | 48p |
| Bill before relief: £60,000 × 0.48 | £28,800 a year |
| Empty property relief: industrial, so the first 6 months are free | £0 for 6 months |
| After that | £28,800 a year (about £2,400 a month), charged by the day |
5. A cafe in Wales, rateable value £9,000, the only property
| Multiplier (cafes aren't on the Welsh retail multiplier) | 0.502 |
| Bill before relief: £9,000 × 0.502 | £4,518 |
| Small business rates relief: 50% ((£12,000 − £9,000) ÷ £6,000) | − £2,259 |
| Food and Drink Hospitality Rates Relief: 15% of £2,259 | − £338.85 |
| Estimated bill | £1,920.15 |
A second-property example: a shop in England with a rateable value of £10,000 whose owner also took on a storage unit with a rateable value of £2,500 before 27 November 2025. The storage unit is under £2,899 and the total (£12,500) is under £20,000, so the shop keeps 100% small business rate relief. The storage unit gets its own bill without small business rate relief: £2,500 × 0.432 = £1,080.
What if my rateable value looks wrong?
Every figure in the calculator starts from your rateable value, which the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) sets. If you think it's too high, or the property details behind it are wrong, you can check and challenge it free through your business rates valuation account, or ask a rating surveyor to do it for you.
Reliefs are tied to rateable value, so a change can matter twice: a lower rateable value lowers the bill before relief, and around the thresholds (£12,000 and £15,000 in England, £6,000 and £12,000 in Wales, £51,000 for the multipliers) it can also change which relief or multiplier applies. It can also work the other way: after a challenge the rateable value can go down, up or stay the same.
The process is Check, then Challenge, then Appeal to the valuation tribunal. You raise a check first, and you have 4 months from the check decision to challenge, with evidence. Our guide to challenging your business rates explains each step, and the 2026 revaluation guide explains why many values changed in April 2026.
No challenge is guaranteed to lower your bill. If you use a rating surveyor, agree any fees in writing before they start.
Related guides
Business rates relief calculator: frequently asked questions
Is this business rates relief calculator accurate?
It uses the official 2026/27 multipliers and relief rules for England and Wales, and shows every step so you can check it. It is an estimate: it leaves out transitional relief, supporting small business relief, local discretionary relief and part-year changes, so your council's bill is the real figure.
Where do I find my rateable value?
It is on your business rates bill. You can also look it up free on GOV.UK using the Find a business rates valuation service, or in your business rates valuation account.
Do I pay business rates if my rateable value is under £12,000?
In England, if it is your business's only property and it is occupied, small business rate relief means you pay nothing at £12,000 or less. In Wales full relief stops at £6,000 and tapers to nothing at £12,000.
Can I get small business rate relief with two properties?
In England you keep relief on your main property for 12 months after taking on another (36 months if you took it on from 27 November 2025). After that you can keep it if none of the others has a rateable value above £2,899 and the total of all of them is under £20,000, or £28,000 in London. In Wales up to two properties per business in each council area can get it.
Can a charity get small business rate relief?
Not at the same time as charitable rate relief in England, and in Wales charities can't get small business rates relief at all. Charitable relief gives up to 80% off, and the council may top it up.
How long is an empty property free of business rates?
Usually 3 months from when it becomes empty, or 6 months for industrial property such as warehouses. Listed buildings, and properties with a rateable value under £2,900 in England or £2,600 in Wales, pay nothing until they are used again.
Does an empty shop get the lower retail multiplier?
Not in England: the retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers only apply to occupied property, so an empty shop is charged on the small business or standard multiplier. In Wales the multiplier depends on the rating-list description, whether the property is occupied or empty.
Why is my council bill different from the calculator?
Your council may have applied transitional relief, supporting small business relief or a discretionary relief, worked out part of the year separately, or used a different property description. Ask the council how your bill was worked out.
Will the 2027/28 changes be included?
Not yet. New multipliers, higher pubs relief and higher small business rate relief thresholds for retail, hospitality and leisure property were announced at the Budget on 28 October 2026, due from 1 April 2027 and subject to regulations. We will update the calculator when they take effect.
Does the calculator save or send my answers?
No. It runs in your web browser and nothing you type into it is sent to us or anyone else. Only the separate enquiry form, if you choose to fill it in, sends details to us.
Does it work for Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different business rates systems. The calculator covers England and Wales only.
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these official sources on 11 November 2026:
- Business rates relief
- Estimate your business rates
- Business rates: pubs and live music venues relief, local authority guidance
- Business rates in Wales (Business Wales)
- Non-domestic rates: multipliers (Business Wales)
- Non-domestic rates: small business rates relief (Business Wales)
- Non-domestic rates: empty property rates relief (Business Wales)
- Non-domestic rates: Food and Drink Hospitality Rates Relief 2026-27 (Business Wales)