Everything you need to know about business rates

With the new business rates calculations now in place (as of 1 April 2026), businesses are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the changes and to check for any relief they may be entitled to, further details can be found by visiting Business Rates – Mid Sussex District Council

Mid Sussex District Council has used updated rateable values, set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), to calculate business rates for local businesses. Every three years, the VOA reviews all non-domestic properties across England and Wales.

Businesses can view their current and future rateable value through the VOA’s find a business rates valuation service on GOV.UK.

Other changes to the business rates system have also been implemented including:

The introduction of new multipliers: Instead of two multipliers (which are used to calculate business rates), there will now be five distinct multipliers, including:
–  permanent lower rates for Retail, Hospitality & Leisure (RHL) properties, replacing the current RHL Relief.
– a higher rate for properties with a rateable value of £500,000 or more.
Two new support measures will be available to help businesses adjust:
–  Transitional Relief (TR): Limits annual increases for three years to soften sharp rises.
–  Supporting Small Business (SSB): Protects businesses losing Small Business Rate Relief, Rural Rate Relief, or RHL Relief, capping annual increases at £800 or the TR percentage.
A temporary 1p multiplier supplement: From 1 April 2026, for one year, the Government will apply a 1p supplement to the business rates multipliers for ratepayers who do not receive Transitional Relief or the Supporting Small Business Relief Scheme.

To find out more about business rates and business support offered by the Council, visit Business Rates – Mid Sussex District Council