Business Rates, also known as National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR), are rates that businesses must pay. These charges are how people who use non-domestic properties contribute to the cost of local services.

Business Rates are charged on most non-domestic properties, such as:

• shops
• offices
• pubs
• warehouses
• factories
• holiday rental homes

The money that is collected is shared between the County Council, the Fire Authority and us, the District Council. As Business Rates revenue benefits us and the County Council, both organisations aim to work with local businesses to create a good environment for growth. 

Revenue from Business Rates, together with Council Tax, Government support grants and other Government funding, goes towards paying for the services provided by our Council and Cambridgeshire County Council.

For more information on Business Rates and how they are spent, read our current NNDR Explanatory Notes 2026-2027  [PDF, 0.2MB]or see the GOV.UK website. 

Historic Business Rates explanatory notes:

2025/2026 NNDR explanatory notes [PDF, 96Kb]

2024/2025 NNDR explanatory notes [PDF, 0.2MB]

2023/2024 NNDR explanatory notes  [PDF, 0.2MB]

How are your Business Rates calculated?

We work out your Business Rates by multiplying the rateable value, set by the Valuation Office Agency, by the appropriate multiplier, which Central Government sets each year.

Central Government sets the multipliers from 1 April each year for the whole of England. There are currently 2 multipliers:

Small Business Non-Domestic Rating multiplier

The small business rate multiplier is a lower figure. It's used for properties where either of the following apply:

• you are in receipt of small business rate relief
• the property has a rateable value less than £51,000 (from 1 April 2024 this includes properties occupied by charities and unoccupied properties).

Standard Non-Domestic Rating multiplier 

The standard multiplier is for all properties where the small business multiplier doesn't apply.

The standard multiplier is higher to pay for Small Business Rate Relief, except in the City of London where special arrangements apply. The current multipliers are shown on the front of your bill.

From 1 April 2025 the Standard multiplier is 55.5p and the Small Business Rate multiplier is 49.9p.

From 1 April 2026 there are 5 multipliers reflecting both business type and property value:

New Business Rates Multipliers (from April 2026)

Properties that will benefit from the lower multipliers

• properties that are wholly or mainly used for qualifying retail, hospitality or leisure purposes will qualify for the RHL multiplier. This is a test on the use of the property, not just on the valuation description applied by the Valuation Office Agency.
• the retail sale or hire of goods. The ‘retail sale or hire of goods’ refers to the sale or hire of goods directly to the end-user. As such, it excludes wholesale sales and hires.

Properties that will not qualify for the lower multipliers 

• unoccupied properties
• properties with a rateable value of £500,000 or above, even if used for a qualifying retail, hospitality or leisure purpose

From 2026 the RHL multipliers are not a ‘relief’ and will be applied in accordance with government regulations. For further information on qualifying and excluded properties, please visit the GOV.uk website.

Business Rates Instalments

Payment of Business Rates bills is automatically set to a 10-monthly cycle. However, there are Government regulations in place that allow businesses to make payments to their local authority in 12 monthly instalments.

These instalments can be paid by Direct Debit. Please complete the Direct Debit form if you would like to set this up.

If you wish to pay your Business Rates in 12 monthly instalments, please contact us as soon as possible.

Recovery process

Business Rates must be paid by the first day of each month or the fifteenth day of each month, based on how your instalments are set up. Failure to make payment in line with the instalments set out on your Business Rates bill may lead to recovery action.

The recovery process is outlined as follows:

• At the point of missing a payment you will get a reminder notice –
• if your outstanding balance is paid, within 7 days, your instalments will remain the same.
• if your outstanding balance is not paid within 7 days or at all, you will receive a Summons.
• If you previously missed a payment, but your account was brought up to date, and then this reoccurs –
• you will receive a Final Notice. At this point, you lose your right to pay by instalments, but if you pay your outstanding balance, a new instalment plan may be able to be arranged, and a Direct Debit is set up
• if you do not pay your outstanding balance, you will receive a Summons.

If a Summons notice is received, additional costs will be incurred. These costs will not be removed unless the Business Rates bill issued was incorrect.

Valuation and rateable value of your business

Every 3 years, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) reviews and updates the rateable values of over 2 million commercial properties in England and Wales. This is called a revaluation, and it helps make sure business rates reflect changes in the property market.

A rateable value is an estimate of the annual rent your property could have been let for on a specific date; however, it is not the same as the rent you pay. Rateable values can vary due to factors such as size, location, and property features.

The next revaluation will take effect from 1 April 2026. You can find more information about this on the GOV.uk website.

Impact on businesses

We use rateable values to calculate business rates bills. When a revaluation happens, your bill may go up, down, or stay the same. Even if your rateable value increases, it doesn’t mean your bill will rise by the same amount.

From April 2026, the government will introduce 2 lower multipliers for businesses in retail, hospitality, and leisure.

We will decide which businesses qualify, following government guidance.

Finding your rateable value

You can check your property’s current and future rateable value using the VOA’s Find a business rates valuation service on the GOV.UK website.

This service lets you:

• view the details the VOA holds for your property
• compare your property’s rateable value with similar properties nearby
• get an estimate of your business rates bill from 1 April 2026

The estimate given is for guidance only and may not include any relief you could be eligible for.

Contacting the Valuation Office Agency

Your local council is responsible for your business rates bill, including applying any relief you may be entitled to.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is responsible for valuing your property. If you have questions about your property’s rateable value, you should contact the VOA.

What to do if you think your valuation is incorrect

If you believe your valuation is wrong or need to update property details (such as floor area or parking), you’ll need a business rates valuation account.

You cannot challenge your 2026 valuation until 1 April 2026. Before then, you can update property details or raise a Check against your current valuation using your valuation account.

Changes to your current valuation may increase or decrease your rateable value and could affect your future valuation from 1 April 2026.You have until 31 March 2026 to request changes to your current valuation. After 1 April 2026, you can only make changes to your new valuation.

Working with a business rates agent

You can manage your business rates yourself. If you want to appoint an agent, the VOA has published guidance on how to choose a business rates agent.

If you decide to authorise an agent to act on your behalf, you can appoint one using a business rates valuation account.

Find out how to avoid business rates scams

National Revaluation Registers 

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) regularly updates the rateable values of all business and other non-domestic properties (properties that are not just private homes) in England and Wales. This is called a revaluation.

Rateable values are based on the amount of rent a property could have been let for on a set valuation date.

Revaluation

The revaluation came into effect on 1 April 2023 and will close on 31 March 2026.

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

The 2026 revaluation comes into effect on 1 April 2026, for this revaluation, the set valuation date was 1 April 2024.

Contacting the Valuation Office Agency

We are responsible for anything to do with your Business Rates bill. The VOA is responsible for the valuation of your property. You will therefore need to contact the VOA for all queries about your rateable value. 

Transitional Relief Scheme

Transitional relief limits how much your bill can change each year as a result of business rates revaluation. The 2023 transitional relief scheme ends on 31 March 2026 and the new transitional relief scheme begins on 1 April 2026

You’ll get transitional relief if your rates go up by more than a certain amount. This means changes to your bill are phased in gradually. Your bill automatically if you’re eligible.

How much your bill can change by

How much your bill can change by from one year to the next depends on both:

• your property’s rateable value
• whether your bill is increasing or decreasing as a result of revaluation

You stop getting transitional relief when your bill reaches the full amount set by a revaluation.

The business rates year is from 1 April to 31 March the following year.

Your business rates will change by no more than the percentage caps listed in the tables from one year to the next.

If your bill is increasing from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029

Supporting small business relief

You can get supporting small business relief if both of the following apply:

• your business property’s bill will increase when the next revaluation happens on 1 April 2026
• you’ve lost some or all of your small business rate relief, rural rate relief, retail hospitality and leisure relief or 2023 supporting small business relief

What you’ll get

If you’re eligible, your bills will go up by no more than £800 or the percentage caps listed in the table (whichever is greater) for the 2026 to 2027 tax year.

This is compared to your bill in 2025 to 2026 and includes the following:

• any small business rate relief
• rural rate relief
• retail hospital and leisure relief
• 2023 supporting small business relief

If you qualify for this relief because of the 2023 supporting small business scheme, the relief will apply in the 2026/27 financial year only.