Few things frustrate British business owners more than business rates. If you ask someone running a shop, café, studio, or office, what they think about business rates, you’ll get the same answer. And it isn’t one we can publish! 

Almost all owners see business rates as outdated, unfair, and out of touch with how businesses work today. 

It raises an awkward question. In a country supposedly trying to encourage entrepreneurship, regeneration and innovation, why are we still relying on a tax that seems to actively discourage all three? 

A tax stuck in the past 

Business rates have existed in some form for centuries. They started as property taxes in 17th-century England, when most wealth was in land and buildings. Back then, it made sense: if you had valuable property, you were seen as successful and able to help fund local services. 

Value is now created through digital services, intellectual property, brands and platforms, and not just physical premises. Yet business rates still operate on the same basic principle. Where you are matters more than how you’re actually performing. 

There have been some attempts at reform but there has been no interest in conceding that the tax is no longer fit for purpose. Rateable values are still based on estimated rents. Revaluations do not happen often, and reliefs are added on top instead of being part of the system. In short, business rates have been adjusted, not redesigned. 

How much are UK businesses really paying?

Many people are surprised by how much businesses pay in rates, especially compared to other business taxes. UK businesses pay more than £25 billion in business rates each year. This is one of the biggest business taxes, second only to employer National Insurance contributions. 

According to the Office for Budget Responsibility, business rates consistently raise more revenue than corporation tax from SMEs.
 

The way business rates are calculated in England also stands out. For 2024 to 2025, the standard multiplier is just over 51p per pound, so businesses pay about 51p each year for every £1 of rateable value. 

This is especially controversial because businesses must pay rates even if they are not making a profit. A company can be losing money and still have a large rates bill. In contrast, corporation tax only applies to profits. 

The British Retail Consortium often points out that business rates hit physical retailers the hardest. Retailers make up about 5 per cent of the UK economy but pay over 20 per cent of all business rates. For many high street businesses, rates are their biggest fixed cost after wages and often cost more than rent. 

The physical presence penalty 

Business rates mainly penalise businesses for being visible and having a physical presence. The more established you are in your community, the more you usually pay. Top high street spots, warehouses near transport links, and city-centre offices all have higher rateable values. 

At the same time, digital businesses can earn a lot in the UK while working from cheaper locations or even abroad. There are some digital services taxes now, but they bring in much less than business rates and only affect a small number of companies. 

This means the system encourages businesses to keep their physical presence small and discourages investment in high streets, town centres and community spaces. It’s no wonder that our high streets have become like ghost towns. 

What do other countries do differently? 

The UK depends more on property-based business taxes than most other countries. 

In Germany, local authorities levy a trade tax based largely on profits, not property values.
 

France has made big changes to its business taxes by reducing those based on property and focusing more on economic activity and value creation.
 

Many countries check property values more often that the UK, which helps avoid sudden jumps in costs, and they limit yearly increases more strictly. The priority elsewhere is to focus more on what businesses earn, not just where they are.

Is reform even possible? 

Business rates give local authorities a steady and reliable source of income, which makes them hesitant to change the system. However, just because the system is stable does not mean it is fair for those who pay. The current setup puts too much pressure on some sectors that are already struggling, while letting others grow quickly with lower costs. 

The main obstacle to reform is political. Any real change would shift who pays more or less tax. Some businesses would pay more, others less. It means big decisions which most politicians shy away from. Ignoring this issue has real effects, which we can see on our high streets. 

Time for a grown-up debate 

Business rates no longer match how business works in the UK. They discourage investment in physical locations, make competition unfair, and put too much pressure on traditional businesses. 

Whether the solution is a tax based on turnover or a mix of models, keeping things as they are is getting harder to justify. This is not a question of lowering taxes. The challenge is to find a system that fits a modern economy. 

Don’t pay too much 

Business rates might feel immovable, but there are reliefs, exemptions and reductions available. Many businesses either miss them entirely or do not realise they qualify. 

Small Business Rate Relief, retail and hospitality relief, transitional relief and discretionary local authority support can all make a real difference if they are properly understood and applied. The problem is that the system is complex, inconsistent and rarely explained in plain English. 

We can look at how much you are paying in business rates and ensure that you are not missing out on possible reductions.