Business Rates Guide
Business Rates for Shops & Retail
Retail is under pressure from every direction. Make sure your business rates bill is not adding to the burden unnecessarily.
Free, instant check. No email required.
Common Issues for Shops & Retail
These are the most frequent problems we find when checking business rates for shops & retail.
High street footfall has shifted significantly, but many retail valuations still reflect pre-pandemic levels
Zone A pricing — the method used to value most shops — can produce inflated valuations in changing retail areas
Small Business Rate Relief could reduce your bill substantially, but many retailers have not applied
Empty units and reduced trading areas may not be reflected in your current rateable value
Reliefs That May Apply to Your Shop
We check every available relief as part of your property assessment. These are the most common for shops & retail.
Small Business Rate Relief
Up to 100%
Up to 100% off the main property where its RV is under £15,000; additional properties can be permitted within individual and aggregate RV limits.
Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Relief
5p lower multiplier (2026-27)
Lower multipliers for qualifying occupied retail, hospitality and leisure properties in 2026-27, with separate backdated section 47 checks for 2023-26.
Empty Property Relief
100% (time-limited)
No rates to pay for the first 3 months your property is empty (6 months for warehouses and industrial).
What a review establishes
For a shop with a listed rateable value of £14,000, we first test the valuation and eligibility evidence.
Listed RV
£14,000
VOA starting point
Evidence review
Required
area, use, tone and relief facts
Bill result
After verification
full statutory calculation
Payable bill and savings are only shown after verification of the complete bill, including transition, relief interactions and local charges.
How We Help Shops & Retail
Check
We compare your shop's rateable value against VOA data for similar properties and check for Small Business Rate Relief, RHL Relief.
Challenge
If we find you're overcharged, we write to your council to claim the relief you're owed.
Protect
Free property monitoring flags relevant changes. Any council or VOA work is scoped and priced separately.
Clear service pricing
Review free. Pay only for the next step you choose.
Council correction letter: £29 + VAT. Separately authorised VOA Challenge: 10% of confirmed liability savings, capped at £399 + VAT; £0 if there is no confirmed liability reduction.
Check Your Shop's Rates in 60 Seconds
Free, instant check. No email required. See your savings potential and find out if you are overpaying.