South West · 2025-26
Business Rates in Exeter
Businesses in Exeter paid £93.8m in net business rates during 2025-26, above the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Exeter
Share of £22.0m total relief, 2025-26.
Exeter at a glance
Exeter granted £22.0m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £4.4m in Small Business Rate Relief and £4.5m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £8.8m went to charity relief and £3.4m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Exeter has an estimated 4,425 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Exeter ranks 185 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 retail property in Exeter fell by 0.3% — if your assessment didn't fall in line, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Exeter?
Exeter's local authority collected £93.8m 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 Exeter?
Exeter granted £22.0m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £4.4m in Small Business Rate Relief, £4.5m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £8.8m in charity relief, and £3.4m 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.
Exeter compared with the South West and England
- Average rateable value
- £38,259£14,315 above the South West average (£23,944)£4,269 above the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 34.2%in line with its 34.0% share in the South West
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +13.6%South West: +17.7%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
On average rateable value, Exeter sits 78th among England's 296 councils at £38,259, which is 3rd of 27 in the South West. Other commercial property also accounts for the most properties in Exeter, at 29.6% of its rateable properties.
Shops and other retail property account for 23.9% of Exeter's rateable properties and 28.2% of its value, higher than the 20.1% and 22.7% across the South West. High-value property is limited in Exeter: around 40 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to around 50 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Only 3 of the 26 other councils in the South West saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Exeter's +13.6%. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Exeter: total rateable value up 20.4% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +23.0% for other commercial property across the South West. At the other end, retail property in Exeter fell 0.3% in total rateable value between the 2023 and 2026 lists, compared with +7.7% for retail property across the South West.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Exeter equalled 21.1% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, close to the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, charity relief accounted for the most in Exeter: 40.3% of the total, above 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 Exeter compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in South West, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the South West
Other South West councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to Exeter's £38,259.
- Business rates in Cheltenham£36,766 average rateable value, £1,493 lower than Exeter
- Business rates in Bristol UA£36,157 average rateable value, £2,102 lower than Exeter
- Business rates in Tewkesbury£34,265 average rateable value, £3,994 lower than Exeter
- Business rates in Gloucester£34,033 average rateable value, £4,226 lower than Exeter
- Business rates in Swindon UA£49,560 average rateable value, £11,301 higher than Exeter
- Business rates in South Gloucestershire UA£50,084 average rateable value, £11,825 higher than Exeter
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Exeter
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