Business Rates - Who pays business rates and how are they calculated?

Occupied Property

The occupier of any non-domestic assessment is responsible for paying the business rates bill.

Empty Property

You do not have to pay business rates on empty properties for the first three months after the property becomes empty. After that most businesses must pay full business rates. In some cases, empty property relief is extended. For example, Industrial premises are exempt for a further three months and listed buildings are exempt until they are re-occupied.

Full details on exemptions can be obtained from your local authority or from the Government website.

How are Business rates calculated?

The council works out the business rates bill for a property by multiplying the rateable value of the property by the appropriate non-domestic multiplier. After this calculation is complete, we check whether your business rates bill qualifies for transitional phasing and award any applicable reliefs or exemptions.

Non-domestic multipliers 2023-24

There are two multipliers: the standard non-domestic rating multiplier and the small business non-domestic rating multiplier.

For 2023/24 the standard multiplier is £0.512p. If the property qualifies as a small business the multiplier is reduced to £0.499p.

Rateable Values

The rateable values of non-domestic properties are determined by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), which is an agency of HM Revenues and Customs. A property's rateable value is based on an estimate by the VOA of the property's open market rental value at a fixed valuation date.

• Up to  31 March 2017, the rateable values will be based on a valuation date of 1 April 2008.
• From 1 April 2017, the rateable values will be based on a valuation date of 1 April 2015.
• From 1 April 2023, the rateable values will be based on a valuation date of 1 April 2021.

Finding your rateable value

You can do this through the VOA's Find a Business Rates Valuation Service on GOV.UK

If you think your rateable value is incorrect, you can find and view your property details at www.gov.uk/correct-your-business-rates

Your property details need changing

To tell the VOA about changes to your property details (such as floor area sizes and parking) you need a business rates valuation account. The VOA may accept your changes and update the current and/or future valuations.

You think your rateable value is too high

From 1 April 2023, you will need to use a business rates valuation account to tell the VOA if you think your rateable value is too high. You must continue to pay your business rates as normal until a decision has been made.

Sign in or register for a business rates valuation account

How Coronavirus (COVID-19) affected future rateable values

The VOA bases most rateable values on an estimate of what it would cost to rent a property for a year, starting on a certain date.

For 2023 valuation, that date was 1 April 2021. This was during the pandemic and the rent information the VOA used reflected this.