Transitional relief

Transitional relief limits how much your bill can change each year as a result of business rates revaluation.

You’ll get transitional relief if your rates go up or down by more than a certain amount. This means changes to your bill are phased in gradually.

Your council will adjust 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.

If your bill increased from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026

Rateable value                       2023 to 2024 2024 to 2025 2025 to 2026
Up to £20,000 (£28,000 in London)    5%           10% plus inflation          25% plus inflation           
£20,001 (£28,001 in London) to £100,000 15%          25% plus inflation          40% plus inflation          
Over £100,000                        30%          40% plus inflation          55% plus inflation           

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

Rateable value 2026 to 2027 2027 to 2028 2028 to 2029
Up to £20,000 (£28,000 in London) 5% 10% plus inflation 25% plus inflation
£20,001 (£28,001 in London) to £100,000 15% 25% plus inflation 40% plus inflation
Over £100,000 30% 25% plus inflation 25% plus inflation

If you’ve received a transitional certificate

The transitional certificate value will be used in the business rates calculation for your property instead of the usual rateable value.

If you disagree with the value of the certificate, contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).

If you need help

Contact your local council if you have questions about transitional relief.