England records 35,820 checks of business rates valuations

Statistics published by the Valuation Office (VO) on 12 November 2026 show that 35,820 Check cases were registered against England's new commercial property rating list from 1 April to 30 September 2026. Of these, 24,880 were resolved and 10,940 remained outstanding at 30 September. A further 5,240 Challenge cases were registered after the Check stage: 290 were resolved, 630 were marked incomplete and 4,320 remained outstanding. These are cases, not a count of businesses; one ratepayer may have more than one property.

Outcomes and geography

Among resolved Checks in England, 23% resulted in a lower rateable value, 75% in no change and 2% in an increase. Of resolved Challenges, 62% resulted in a decrease, but only 290 had been resolved, so this percentage is not a success probability for a new applicant. Wales recorded 1,380 Check cases and 240 Challenge cases against its 2026 list over the same period. This article covers England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland use different business rates systems.

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Who should pay attention

This matters to tenants and owners of shops, cafés, offices, warehouses and other commercial premises who pay business rates. A rateable value is the VO's estimate of a property's annual open-market rental value. Councils use it to calculate a bill, but it is not itself the tax payable. Disputing a valuation is separate from disputing relief eligibility, which is a council decision.

How to check and challenge

1. Find the property through the official business rates valuation search and compare the address, size, use and valuation with your property records. 2. If the details or valuation are wrong, sign in to a free business rates valuation account and submit a Check with supporting information. 3. After the Check decision, if you have grounds, submit a Challenge with all evidence, your proposed value and an explanation. The general deadline is four months after a Check decision, with different rules if no decision is made or the case concerns a change in the surrounding area. Check the HMRC guidance for the deadline that applies to your case.

Submitting a case yourself is free and a paid agent is optional. The valuation may rise, fall or stay the same. Knowingly providing false information can lead to a penalty. If your dispute concerns relief rather than rateable value, contact your local council using the business rates relief guidance. The new statistics do not create a single new deadline for cases against the current list.

Official sources: VO statistics to 30 September 2026; Check and Challenge guidance; valuation search.