South West · 2025-26
Business Rates in Plymouth UA
Businesses in Plymouth UA paid £96.1m in net business rates during 2025-26, above the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Plymouth UA
Share of £33.4m total relief, 2025-26.
Plymouth UA at a glance
Plymouth UA granted £33.4m in relief overall, higher than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £9.3m in Small Business Rate Relief and £5.4m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £13.2m went to charity relief and £3.8m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Plymouth UA has an estimated 6,190 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Plymouth UA ranks 87 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 Plymouth UA rose by 17.0% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Plymouth UA?
Plymouth UA's local authority collected £96.1m 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 Plymouth UA?
Plymouth UA granted £33.4m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £9.3m in Small Business Rate Relief, £5.4m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £13.2m in charity relief, and £3.8m 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.
Plymouth UA compared with the South West and England
- Average rateable value
- £30,764£6,820 above the South West average (£23,944)£3,226 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 36.3%2.3 percentage points above its 34.0% share in the South West
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +14.4%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
At £30,764, Plymouth UA's average rateable value ranks 128th of 296 councils in England and 8th of 27 in the South West. Other commercial property also accounts for the most properties in Plymouth UA, at 28.8% of its rateable properties.
Shops and other retail property account for 24.9% of Plymouth UA's rateable properties and 26.6% of its value, higher than the 20.1% and 22.7% across the South West. High-value property is limited in Plymouth UA: around 50 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to around 60 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Only 6 of the 26 other councils in the South West saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Plymouth UA's +14.4%. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Plymouth UA: total rateable value up 18.8% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +23.0% for other commercial property across the South West. Even the weakest sector in Plymouth UA, retail property, rose 7.8% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, in line with the +7.7% across the South West.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Plymouth UA equalled 25.6% 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 Plymouth UA: 39.6% 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 Plymouth UA 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 Plymouth UA's £30,764.
- Business rates in Bath & North East Somerset UA£28,839 average rateable value, £1,925 lower than Plymouth UA
- Business rates in North Somerset UA£27,577 average rateable value, £3,187 lower than Plymouth UA
- Business rates in Wiltshire UA£26,799 average rateable value, £3,965 lower than Plymouth UA
- Business rates in Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole UA£24,826 average rateable value, £5,938 lower than Plymouth UA
- Business rates in Swindon UA£49,560 average rateable value, £18,796 higher than Plymouth UA
- Business rates in South Gloucestershire UA£50,084 average rateable value, £19,320 higher than Plymouth UA
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Plymouth
By email.