South East · 2025-26
Business Rates in Buckinghamshire UA
Businesses in Buckinghamshire UA paid £205.4m in net business rates during 2025-26, above the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Buckinghamshire UA
Share of £75.5m total relief, 2025-26.
Buckinghamshire UA at a glance
Buckinghamshire UA granted £75.5m in relief overall, higher than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £17.3m in Small Business Rate Relief and £13.1m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £18.2m went to charity relief and £12.2m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Buckinghamshire UA has an estimated 30,535 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Buckinghamshire UA ranks 250 out of 296 local authorities in England on the 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation, where 1 is most deprived and 296 is least deprived.
Following the 2026 revaluation, the total rateable value of industrial property in Buckinghamshire UA rose by 26.6% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Buckinghamshire UA?
Buckinghamshire UA's local authority collected £205.4m in net business rates income during 2025-26, based on the national multiplier applied to each property's rateable value, less any relief granted.
What reliefs are available in Buckinghamshire UA?
Buckinghamshire UA granted £75.5m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £17.3m in Small Business Rate Relief, £13.1m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £18.2m in charity relief, and £12.2m in empty property relief.
How do I know if I'm overpaying?
If your rateable value looks high compared to similar properties nearby, or you're not currently receiving relief you may be entitled to, it's worth checking your assessment. Use our free checker to compare your rateable value and see if you may be eligible for a reduction or backdated refund.
Buckinghamshire UA compared with the South East and England
- Average rateable value
- £34,402£894 below the South East average (£35,296)£412 above the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 33.1%in line with its 32.5% share in the South East
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +18.3%South East: +19.7%England: +19.6%
Counts and rateable values are from the stock of properties at March 2026, on the 2023 rating list. Changes are from the 2026 revaluation, comparing the 2023 rating list with the 2026 rating list.
Property mix
At £34,402, Buckinghamshire UA's average rateable value ranks 99th of 296 councils in England and 29th of 64 in the South East. Industrial property makes up the largest share of Buckinghamshire UA's rateable properties (30.3%), but other commercial property carries the most rateable value (33.1%).
In Buckinghamshire UA, retail is 21.3% of rateable properties and 20.2% of rateable value; across the South East the figures are 22.5% and 20.7%. 110 rateable properties in Buckinghamshire UA were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, which is 0.7% of the national total, and 140 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Of the 63 other councils in the South East, 44 saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Buckinghamshire UA's +18.3% and 18 saw a stronger one. Industrial property saw the biggest rise in Buckinghamshire UA: total rateable value up 26.6% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +19.9% for industrial property across the South East. Even the weakest sector in Buckinghamshire UA, other commercial property, rose 12.5% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +26.7% for other commercial property across the South East.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Buckinghamshire UA equalled 26.0% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, above the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, charity relief accounted for the most in Buckinghamshire UA: 24.1% of the total, below the England figure of 29.7%.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.
See how Buckinghamshire UA compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in South East, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the South East
Other South East councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to Buckinghamshire UA's £34,402.
- Business rates in Swale£34,409 average rateable value, £7 higher than Buckinghamshire UA
- Business rates in Test Valley£34,461 average rateable value, £59 higher than Buckinghamshire UA
- Business rates in Tunbridge Wells£34,197 average rateable value, £205 lower than Buckinghamshire UA
- Business rates in Fareham£34,183 average rateable value, £219 lower than Buckinghamshire UA
- Business rates in Hart£35,179 average rateable value, £777 higher than Buckinghamshire UA
- Business rates in Mole Valley£33,505 average rateable value, £897 lower than Buckinghamshire UA
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Buckinghamshire
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