South West · 2025-26
Business Rates in Isles of Scilly
Businesses in Isles of Scilly paid £1.1m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Isles of Scilly
Share of £1.1m total relief, 2025-26.
Isles of Scilly at a glance
Isles of Scilly granted £1.1m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £0.7m in Small Business Rate Relief and £0.3m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £0.1m went to charity relief and £0.1m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Isles of Scilly has an estimated 205 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Isles of Scilly ranks 240 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 Isles of Scilly rose by 10.5% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Isles of Scilly?
Isles of Scilly's local authority collected £1.1m 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 Isles of Scilly?
Isles of Scilly granted £1.1m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £0.7m in Small Business Rate Relief, £0.3m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £0.1m in charity relief, and £0.1m 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.
Isles of Scilly compared with the South West and England
- Average rateable value
- £8,791£15,153 below the South West average (£23,944)£25,199 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 72.3%38.3 percentage points above its 34.0% share in the South West
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +17.1%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
With an average rateable value of £8,791, Isles of Scilly has the lowest figure of England's 296 councils and the lowest in the South West. Other commercial property also accounts for the most properties in Isles of Scilly, at 71.7% of its rateable properties. Shops and other retail property account for 9.4% of Isles of Scilly's rateable properties and 13.0% of its value, lower than the 20.1% and 22.7% across the South West.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Of the 26 other councils in the South West, 13 saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Isles of Scilly's +17.1% and 12 saw a stronger one. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Isles of Scilly: total rateable value up 26.1% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +23.0% for other commercial property across the South West. At the other end, retail property in Isles of Scilly fell 26.5% 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 Isles of Scilly equalled 47.4% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, above the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, Small Business Rate Relief accounted for the most in Isles of Scilly: 57.2% of the total, above the England figure of 28.0%.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.
See how Isles of Scilly 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 Isles of Scilly's £8,791.
- Business rates in Torridge£11,287 average rateable value, £2,496 higher than Isles of Scilly
- Business rates in West Devon£14,343 average rateable value, £5,552 higher than Isles of Scilly
- Business rates in Cornwall UA£14,496 average rateable value, £5,705 higher than Isles of Scilly
- Business rates in South Hams£14,795 average rateable value, £6,004 higher than Isles of Scilly
- Business rates in Forest of Dean£15,157 average rateable value, £6,366 higher than Isles of Scilly
- Business rates in Teignbridge£17,045 average rateable value, £8,254 higher than Isles of Scilly
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Isles of Scilly
By email.