South West · 2025-26

Business Rates in North Devon

Businesses in North Devon paid £32.8m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.

£32.8m
Net rates income (2025-26)
£18.7m
Total relief granted
£9.1m
Small Business Rate Relief
5,060
Active businesses (2025)

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Relief granted in North Devon

Share of £18.7m total relief, 2025-26.

  • Small Business Rate Relief£9.1m · 49%

    Automatic relief for the smallest ratepayers, based on rateable value.

  • Retail, hospitality & leisure relief£3.5m · 19%

    Extra support for shops, pubs, and hospitality venues.

  • Charity relief£3.4m · 18%

    Mandatory 80% relief for registered charities.

  • Empty property relief£1.1m · 6%

    Short-term relief for vacant commercial premises.

North Devon at a glance

North Devon granted £18.7m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £9.1m in Small Business Rate Relief and £3.5m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.

A further £3.4m went to charity relief and £1.1m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.

North Devon has an estimated 5,060 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).

North Devon ranks 114 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 North Devon rose by 18.8% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.

Frequently asked questions

How much are business rates in North Devon?

North Devon's local authority collected £32.8m 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 North Devon?

North Devon granted £18.7m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £9.1m in Small Business Rate Relief, £3.5m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £3.4m in charity relief, and £1.1m 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.

North Devon compared with the South West and England

Average rateable value
£15,284£8,660 below the South West average (£23,944)£18,706 below the England average (£33,990)
Largest sector by value
Other commercial property, 46.9%12.9 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

North Devon ranks 283rd of 296 English councils for average rateable value, at £15,284, and 21st of 27 in the South West. The same sector leads on numbers too: 51.6% of North Devon's rateable properties fall in the other commercial category.

Retail accounts for 17.6% of North Devon's rateable properties and 25.1% of its rateable value, compared with 20.1% and 22.7% across the South West. At March 2026, around 10 of North Devon's rateable properties had a rateable value of £500,000 or more, rising to around 20 on the 2026 list.

Change at the 2026 revaluation

North Devon's +17.1% change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation sits mid-table in the South West: stronger than in 13 of the 26 other councils and weaker than in 12. The sharpest increase in North Devon was in other commercial property, where total rateable value rose 23.2% at the 2026 revaluation, in line with the +23.0% across the South West. No sector fell in North Devon: retail property moved least, up 6.4% at the 2026 revaluation, compared with +7.7% for retail property across the South West.

Reliefs

In 2025-26, relief in North Devon came to 36.2% of gross rates payable, above the 21.2% for England as a whole. Small Business Rate Relief was the largest of the four main reliefs in North Devon, at 48.6% of total relief, above 28.0% across England.

Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.

See how North Devon 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 North Devon's £15,284.

Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).

Updates for North Devon

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