South East · 2025-26
Business Rates in West Oxfordshire
Businesses in West Oxfordshire paid £46.9m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in West Oxfordshire
Share of £14.8m total relief, 2025-26.
West Oxfordshire at a glance
West Oxfordshire granted £14.8m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £4.7m in Small Business Rate Relief and £3.4m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £3.5m went to charity relief and £1.4m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
West Oxfordshire has an estimated 5,895 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
West Oxfordshire ranks 269 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 West Oxfordshire rose by 19.8% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in West Oxfordshire?
West Oxfordshire's local authority collected £46.9m 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 West Oxfordshire?
West Oxfordshire granted £14.8m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £4.7m in Small Business Rate Relief, £3.4m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £3.5m in charity relief, and £1.4m 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.
West Oxfordshire compared with the South East and England
- Average rateable value
- £26,770£8,526 below the South East average (£35,296)£7,220 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 36.2%3.7 percentage points above its 32.5% share in the South East
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +19.2%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
At £26,770, West Oxfordshire's average rateable value ranks 168th of 296 councils in England and 46th of 64 in the South East. Industrial property makes up the largest share of West Oxfordshire's rateable properties (31.6%), but other commercial property carries the most rateable value (36.2%).
Shops and other retail property account for 16.7% of West Oxfordshire's rateable properties and 17.1% of its value, lower than the 22.5% and 20.7% across the South East. High-value property is limited in West Oxfordshire: around 20 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, unchanged at around 20 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Only 10 of the 63 other councils in the South East saw a stronger change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than West Oxfordshire's +19.2%. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in West Oxfordshire: total rateable value up 21.9% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +26.7% for other commercial property across the South East. Even the weakest sector in West Oxfordshire, retail property, rose 10.8% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, in line with the +10.8% across the South East.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in West Oxfordshire equalled 23.5% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, above the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, Small Business Rate Relief accounted for the most in West Oxfordshire: 32.0% of the total, above the England figure of 28.0%.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.
See how West 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 West Oxfordshire's £26,770.
- Business rates in Ashford£26,782 average rateable value, £12 higher than West Oxfordshire
- Business rates in Waverley£26,956 average rateable value, £186 higher than West Oxfordshire
- Business rates in Havant£27,166 average rateable value, £396 higher than West Oxfordshire
- Business rates in New Forest£26,255 average rateable value, £515 lower than West Oxfordshire
- Business rates in Brighton & Hove UA£27,771 average rateable value, £1,001 higher than West Oxfordshire
- Business rates in Sevenoaks£25,287 average rateable value, £1,483 lower than West Oxfordshire
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for West Oxfordshire
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