28/10/2026
Business Rates and the Budget - The Headlines
1. The government to provide relief of 35% for pubs, social clubs and some music venues from April 2027
2. Increase of the Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) thresholds to £18,000 for 100% relief (from £12,000) and £21,000 for tapered relief (from £15,000) for qualifying RHL properties in England from April 2027. Offices, workshops etc excluded and will remain at the lower thresholds.
3. Continuation of the 1p supplement which affects properties that have seen smaller increases or reductions in their business rates bills for a further 2 years to help fund the above.
4. Take action against business rates avoidance in England: empowering local authorities to better take on avoidance by expanding the funding provided for challenging avoidance in court; and introducing a General Anti-Avoidance Rule, giving local authorities the powers they need to take on non-compliance.
5. Remove business rates reliefs for v**e shops and Adult Gaming Centres from April 2027. V**e shops and Adult Gaming Centres in England will no longer be eligible for the RHL multipliers, and v**e shops will also lose eligibility for SBRR.
6. Further discussions with businesses to understand how the business rates system can better incentivise the reoccupation of empty properties.
7. Increase the share of business rates retained locally with the intention for 100% of business rates to be retained locally by 2030. The government will also explore how greater control of business rates policy could better support fiscal devolution and good growth.
Further detailed analysis from James Clarke over the next few days.