The government has urged founders to create an online account to track their business rates closely ahead of the April 2026 revaluation which will likely raise bills for businesses.
The Business Rates Valuation Account informs businesses about changes to their rateable value (RV), the figure that determines how much they pay in business rates.
Every three years, the Valuation Office Agency updates the rateable values of all business properties in England and Wales to reflect changes in the property market, and the next revaluation is due to come into effect at the start of April next year.
Also next April, permanent business rates reductions are expected to commence for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with lower rateable values.
What is a Business Rates Valuation Account?
A Business Rates Valuation Account is basically your personal dashboard for business rates. Through this GOV.UK service, you’ll be able to:
- Check and track your property’s current and future rateable value
- Get updates when changes are made
- Appoint an agent to manage your account on your behalf
You can also use your account to challenge your current property valuation if you think it is unfair. However, you must do this by March 31 2026.
For high-street businesses, like pubs, cafés, shops, and hotels, small swings in their property’s RV can make a big difference to monthly budgets. By signing up, you’ll be better prepared to handle changes before they hit your bills.
Why is April 2026 important?
From April 2026, properties across the UK will be reassessed, and updated rateable values will be used to calculate bills. For some businesses, this could mean a reduction in bills. But for others, particularly those in popular or up-and-coming locations, rates may skyrocket.
Being aware of these changes early gives you a chance to build them into your financial planning and accounting software, rather than being caught off guard.
To put it in perspective, UK commercial property values were already on the rise in 2025. According to CBRE UK, capital values across all sectors increased by 0.3% in April, with offices up 0.3% and rental values climbing by 0.4% to 0.6%.
Shifts like these directly affect future RVs, which is why it’s important to pay attention to next year’s reassessment.
Will business rates go down in the Budget?
Last year’s Autumn Budget laid the foundations for business rates reform. Changes included the introduction of three new multipliers from the 2026/27 financial year.
Two are aimed at supporting Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure (RHL) properties with an RV under £500,000. The third targets larger properties with an RV above the same threshold.
The changes would ease the burden for small firms by applying low multipliers to RHL firms with smaller cash reserves. Meanwhile bigger properties, such as warehouses, would face a higher multiplier.
However, part of the plans were blocked by Lords, casting doubt on the plans. With the Autumn Budget on 26 November expected to bring more tax rises, SMEs are waiting for clarity on whether the proposals will materialise.
