East of England · 2025-26
Business Rates in West Suffolk
Businesses in West Suffolk paid £86.5m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in West Suffolk
Share of £22.1m total relief, 2025-26.
West Suffolk at a glance
West Suffolk granted £22.1m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £6.3m in Small Business Rate Relief and £4.9m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £5.7m went to charity relief and £3.0m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
West Suffolk has an estimated 7,910 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
West Suffolk ranks 182 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 Suffolk rose by 24.2% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in West Suffolk?
West Suffolk's local authority collected £86.5m 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 Suffolk?
West Suffolk granted £22.1m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £6.3m in Small Business Rate Relief, £4.9m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £5.7m in charity relief, and £3.0m 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.
West Suffolk compared with the East of England and England
- Average rateable value
- £31,663£472 below the East of England average (£32,135)£2,327 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Industrial property, 39.0%4.4 percentage points above its 34.6% share in the East of England
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +18.3%East of England: +18.3%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
On average rateable value, West Suffolk sits 121st among England's 296 councils at £31,663, which is 20th of 45 in the East of England. The same sector leads on numbers too: 32.4% of West Suffolk's rateable properties fall in the industrial category.
Retail accounts for 20.7% of West Suffolk's rateable properties and 20.3% of its rateable value, compared with 20.6% and 18.7% across the East of England. At March 2026, around 50 of West Suffolk's rateable properties had a rateable value of £500,000 or more, rising to around 60 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
West Suffolk's +18.3% change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation sits mid-table in the East of England: stronger than in 31 of the 44 other councils and weaker than in 12. The sharpest increase in West Suffolk was in industrial property, where total rateable value rose 24.2% at the 2026 revaluation, compared with +20.2% for industrial property across the East of England. No sector fell in West Suffolk: retail property moved least, up 9.0% at the 2026 revaluation, compared with +9.8% for retail property across the East of England.
Reliefs
In 2025-26, relief in West Suffolk came to 20.0% of gross rates payable, below the 21.2% for England as a whole. Small Business Rate Relief was the largest of the four main reliefs in West Suffolk, at 28.3% of total relief, close to 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 West Suffolk compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in East of England, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the East of England
Other East of England councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to West Suffolk's £31,663.
- Business rates in Huntingdonshire£30,786 average rateable value, £877 lower than West Suffolk
- Business rates in Ipswich£30,559 average rateable value, £1,104 lower than West Suffolk
- Business rates in Luton UA£33,300 average rateable value, £1,637 higher than West Suffolk
- Business rates in Brentwood£29,002 average rateable value, £2,661 lower than West Suffolk
- Business rates in Uttlesford£36,258 average rateable value, £4,595 higher than West Suffolk
- Business rates in Bedford UA£37,938 average rateable value, £6,275 higher than West Suffolk
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for West Suffolk
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