South East · 2025-26
Business Rates in South Oxfordshire
Businesses in South Oxfordshire paid £62.0m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in South Oxfordshire
Share of £17.0m total relief, 2025-26.
South Oxfordshire at a glance
South Oxfordshire granted £17.0m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £5.1m in Small Business Rate Relief and £3.0m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £5.2m went to charity relief and £1.5m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
South Oxfordshire has an estimated 7,880 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
South Oxfordshire ranks 287 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 South Oxfordshire rose by 16.9% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in South Oxfordshire?
South Oxfordshire's local authority collected £62.0m 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 South Oxfordshire?
South Oxfordshire granted £17.0m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £5.1m in Small Business Rate Relief, £3.0m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £5.2m in charity relief, and £1.5m 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.
South Oxfordshire compared with the South East and England
- Average rateable value
- £30,275£5,021 below the South East average (£35,296)£3,715 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 34.4%in line with its 32.5% share in the South East
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +17.6%South East: +19.7%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
South Oxfordshire comes 132nd of 296 English councils on average rateable value (£30,275) and 40th of 64 in the South East. Industrial property makes up the largest share of South Oxfordshire's rateable properties (29.2%), but other commercial property carries the most rateable value (34.4%).
Shops and other retail property account for 18.8% of South Oxfordshire's rateable properties and 18.2% of its value, lower than the 22.5% and 20.7% across the South East. High-value property is limited in South Oxfordshire: around 30 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to around 40 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Of the 63 other councils in the South East, 38 saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than South Oxfordshire's +17.6% and 23 saw a stronger one. Office property saw the biggest rise in South Oxfordshire: total rateable value up 24.7% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +16.8% for office property across the South East. Even the weakest sector in South Oxfordshire, retail property, rose 10.5% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, in line with the +10.8% across the South East.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in South Oxfordshire 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 South Oxfordshire: 30.4% 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 South Oxfordshire compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in South East, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the South East
Other South East councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to South Oxfordshire's £30,275.
- Business rates in Dover£30,442 average rateable value, £167 higher than South Oxfordshire
- Business rates in Maidstone£31,473 average rateable value, £1,198 higher than South Oxfordshire
- Business rates in Eastbourne£29,043 average rateable value, £1,232 lower than South Oxfordshire
- Business rates in Mid Sussex£31,553 average rateable value, £1,278 higher than South Oxfordshire
- Business rates in Surrey Heath£31,808 average rateable value, £1,533 higher than South Oxfordshire
- Business rates in Gravesham£32,572 average rateable value, £2,297 higher than South Oxfordshire
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for South Oxfordshire
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