Business Rates Calculator, 2026/27
Business rates are a fixed annual cost for any limited company with commercial premises, separate from rent and unrelated to profit. Enter your property's rateable value to estimate the gross bill and any small business relief you may be entitled to.
The business rates calculator runs on the rates and thresholds HMRC has published for the 2026/27 tax year, so the figures you see reflect the position your company is actually filing on rather than a historic set of bands. Change any input and the result recalculates immediately, with no sign-up and nothing sent anywhere.
If you are a director of a UK limited company, use it as a first look before a decision rather than as the decision itself. Uses illustrative small business and standard multipliers around 49.9p and 55.5p; your local council confirms the exact multiplier for the year, which is not a fixed HMRC rate. Real company positions bring in other income, reliefs, group structures and prior year adjustments that a single page of inputs cannot see, which is why the workings are written out below under corporation tax & limited company. Read those, then check the numbers against your own accounts, and speak to us if anything looks materially different from what you expected.
Last reviewed 12 September 2026 for the 2026/27 tax year. Reviewed by Waqas Sagar, Member of ICAEW, Fellow of ACCA, Fellow of AAT.
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Result, 2026/27
Estimated annual rates bill
Gross bill before relief
Rateable value × small business multiplierSmall business rate relief applied
Approximate monthly cost
Illustration only, figures are based on the rates you have selected and the information entered. Please check your own position with us before acting.
Estimates for the 2026/27 tax year using published GOV.UK rates. Switch between 2026/27 and 2025/26 above.
How this is calculated
Business rates are worked out by multiplying a property's rateable value, an estimate of its annual open-market rental value set by the Valuation Office Agency, by a multiplier set each year by government. Properties with a rateable value below £51,000 generally use the lower small business multiplier, while larger properties use the standard multiplier.
Small business rate relief then reduces the bill further for businesses using only one property. This calculator applies 100% relief where the rateable value is £12,000 or less, and a straight-line taper down to no relief at £15,000, matching the standard small business rate relief structure.
The gross bill is the rateable value multiplied by the relevant multiplier; the net bill deducts any relief calculated on that basis. Businesses with more than one property, or in devolved nations with their own rates systems, will see different figures and should check their local billing authority.
Reliefs worth checking
Beyond small business rate relief, retail, hospitality and leisure businesses have historically received a percentage discount on their bills, rural rate relief supports certain village shops and pubs, and charities can receive mandatory relief of up to 80%. Each has its own qualifying conditions and is reviewed annually.
Transitional relief phases in large increases or decreases in bills following a revaluation, so a business whose rateable value has jumped sharply may not see the full increase immediately.
Managing the cost
Because rates are charged on the property regardless of how profitable the business is, they can be a heavy fixed cost for early-stage or seasonal companies, and worth factoring into any cash flow forecast alongside rent, insurance and utilities.
It is worth checking the rateable value shown on the Valuation Office Agency's register is accurate and current, since bills are based on that figure and errors or outdated information can lead to overpayment.
What this means for your company
Treat the result as a planning figure for the 2026/27 tax year. If it changes what you were about to do, take a director's salary, a dividend, a large asset purchase or a filing decision, check it against your own accounts first. We can review the position with you and confirm the tax treatment before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
What is a rateable value?
It is the Valuation Office Agency's estimate of a property's open-market annual rental value on a fixed valuation date, used as the base figure that business rates multipliers are applied to.
Do I get small business rate relief automatically?
No, you usually need to apply to your local council, even though you may be eligible. Relief is not always applied automatically, so it is worth checking with your billing authority directly.
What if I have more than one business property?
Small business rate relief generally only applies in full where a property is your only one. Having a second property can reduce or remove relief on the first, though there are some exceptions for low-value additional properties.
Do rates apply if I work from home?
Usually not, if the space is genuinely domestic, but if part of your home is used exclusively and substantially for business, such as a dedicated converted outbuilding, the council may assess that part separately for rates.
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