Yorkshire and The Humber · 2025-26
Business Rates in Leeds
Businesses in Leeds paid £363.5m in net business rates during 2025-26, above the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Leeds
Share of £114.5m total relief, 2025-26.
Leeds at a glance
Leeds granted £114.5m in relief overall, higher than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £32.3m in Small Business Rate Relief and £16.6m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £33.0m went to charity relief and £26.3m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Leeds has an estimated 29,340 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Leeds ranks 86 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 Leeds rose by 17.8% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Leeds?
Leeds's local authority collected £363.5m 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 Leeds?
Leeds granted £114.5m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £32.3m in Small Business Rate Relief, £16.6m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £33.0m in charity relief, and £26.3m 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.
Leeds compared with Yorkshire and The Humber, and England
- Average rateable value
- £30,100£5,457 above the Yorkshire and The Humber average (£24,643)£3,890 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 27.9%3.4 percentage points below its 31.3% share in Yorkshire and The Humber
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +17.0%Yorkshire and The Humber: +17.8%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 £30,100, Leeds's average rateable value ranks 134th of 296 councils in England and 4th of 15 in Yorkshire and The Humber. Other commercial property also accounts for the most properties in Leeds, at 26.7% of its rateable properties.
Shops and other retail property account for 22.1% of Leeds's rateable properties and 20.6% of its value, lower than the 24.8% and 21.7% across Yorkshire and The Humber. 210 rateable properties in Leeds were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, which is 1.2% of the national total, and 280 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Of the 14 other councils in Yorkshire and The Humber, 4 saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Leeds's +17.0% and 10 saw a stronger one. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Leeds: total rateable value up 22.2% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +20.0% for other commercial property across Yorkshire and The Humber. Even the weakest sector in Leeds, retail property, rose 7.2% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +7.8% for retail property across Yorkshire and The Humber.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Leeds equalled 22.2% 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 Leeds: 28.8% of the total, close to 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 Leeds compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in Yorkshire and The Humber, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in Yorkshire and The Humber
Other Yorkshire and The Humber councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to Leeds's £30,100.
- Business rates in Wakefield£30,809 average rateable value, £709 higher than Leeds
- Business rates in Doncaster£29,146 average rateable value, £954 lower than Leeds
- Business rates in Sheffield£28,709 average rateable value, £1,391 lower than Leeds
- Business rates in North East Lincolnshire UA£27,171 average rateable value, £2,929 lower than Leeds
- Business rates in York UA£33,596 average rateable value, £3,496 higher than Leeds
- Business rates in North Lincolnshire UA£38,630 average rateable value, £8,530 higher than Leeds
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Leeds
By email.