South West · 2025-26
Business Rates in Swindon UA
Businesses in Swindon UA paid £122.3m in net business rates during 2025-26, above the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Swindon UA
Share of £26.9m total relief, 2025-26.
Swindon UA at a glance
Swindon UA granted £26.9m in relief overall, higher than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £5.5m in Small Business Rate Relief and £4.5m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £9.3m went to charity relief and £6.0m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Swindon UA has an estimated 7,075 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Swindon UA ranks 167 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 Swindon UA rose by 11.6% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Swindon UA?
Swindon UA's local authority collected £122.3m 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 Swindon UA?
Swindon UA granted £26.9m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £5.5m in Small Business Rate Relief, £4.5m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £9.3m in charity relief, and £6.0m 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.
Swindon UA compared with the South West and England
- Average rateable value
- £49,560£25,616 above the South West average (£23,944)£15,570 above the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Industrial property, 42.2%11.4 percentage points above its 30.8% share in the South West
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +12.5%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 £49,560, Swindon UA's average rateable value ranks 36th of 296 councils in England and 2nd of 27 in the South West. Industrial property also accounts for the most properties in Swindon UA, at 29.0% of its rateable properties.
In Swindon UA, retail is 23.1% of rateable properties and 20.4% of rateable value; across the South West the figures are 20.1% and 22.7%. High-value property is limited in Swindon UA: around 90 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to 100 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
None of the 26 other councils in the South West saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Swindon UA's +12.5%. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Swindon UA: total rateable value up 18.4% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +23.0% for other commercial property across the South West. Even the weakest sector in Swindon UA, office property, rose 6.9% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +18.7% for office property across the South West.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Swindon UA equalled 17.5% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, below the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, charity relief accounted for the most in Swindon UA: 34.8% 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 Swindon 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 Swindon UA's £49,560.
- Business rates in South Gloucestershire UA£50,084 average rateable value, £524 higher than Swindon UA
- Business rates in Exeter£38,259 average rateable value, £11,301 lower than Swindon UA
- Business rates in Cheltenham£36,766 average rateable value, £12,794 lower than Swindon UA
- Business rates in Bristol UA£36,157 average rateable value, £13,403 lower than Swindon UA
- Business rates in Tewkesbury£34,265 average rateable value, £15,295 lower than Swindon UA
- Business rates in Gloucester£34,033 average rateable value, £15,527 lower than Swindon UA
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Swindon
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