Business Rates

(asked on 16th December 2025) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to replace the current system of business rates.


Answered by
Lord Livermore Portrait
Lord Livermore
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
This question was answered on 6th January 2026

The Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto.

The Government is doing this by introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

The Call for Evidence, published at the Budget in November 2025, focuses on how reform of the business rates system can be used to incentivise and secure more investment by Britain’s businesses. This Call for Evidence builds on the findings of the Transforming Business Rates: Discussion Paper and asks stakeholders for more detailed evidence on how the business rates system influences investment decisions.

Any reforms taken forward will be phased over the course of the Parliament.

Reticulating Splines