23 July, 2025

Business Rates Revaluation: 2026 HandbookWhat should businesses do now?

DOWNLOAD THE 2026 HANDBOOK

First, understand where your assessment might move to. Although draft values will not be made public until autumn, a preliminary review before then can highlight areas of likely concern.

Second, explore early opportunities to mitigate. Ideally, the system should not be complicated by reliefs and differential multipliers, but in reality, ratepayers should make sure they make the best use of them to their own advantage.

Finally, it is more important than ever to ensure the facts upon which the Valuation Officer has based their assessment remain correct. Until such time as the planned ‘Duty to Notify’ of physical changes to the property or its tenure is widely introduced from April 2029, the potential remains for rateable value to be based on historic, incorrect data. Ratepayers would be well placed to review their current valuations and ensure the best starting point for future reviews

The system will continue to change. With further statutory reforms and duties planned, this pace is only set to increase. Challenging as it is, the more that businesses do now to get ahead, the more manageable the impact of these 2026 changes will be, both in terms of the accuracy of bills and the time to forecast, prepare and mitigate for their impact.

DO YOU KNOW... Last date for appeal? If you're claiming all reliefs? Whether you should be accruing for any unbudgeted increases?
ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT... Impact of next April’s Revaluation? Your appeal strategy?
ARE YOU AWARE OF... Changing Government regimes? Discussions regarding empty property? Your Duty to Notify?