Yes — claiming business rates relief and appealing your valuation at the same time is allowed, and the two run on separate tracks. Relief is a decision your council applies to the bill; the appeal challenges the rateable value with the Valuation Office Agency. Doing one does not waive the other, and a successful appeal usually recalculates your relief on the lower figure, so both can pay off in the same year.
- Relief and appeal are separate routes: council for relief, VOA for the valuation.
- Claiming relief does not give up your right to appeal the rateable value.
- A lower rateable value recalculates most reliefs in your favour.
- Keep paying the bill while the appeal runs; refunds follow a win.
- Appeal My Rates UK checks both routes free and confirms fees in writing.
Why this matters
Most owners meet the two systems at once: a bill that looks too high (an appeal question) and a relief they suspect they are not claiming (a council question). Treating them as alternatives is the expensive mistake. The 2026-27 multipliers are 43.2p below a rateable value of £51,000, 48p from £51,000 to £499,999 and 50.8p at £500,000 or above, with 38.2p and 43.0p for qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure premises — so the bill is value times multiplier minus reliefs. An appeal moves the first number, relief moves the third, and neither depends on the other being finished first.
Can I claim business rates relief and appeal at the same time?
Yes. The council decides reliefs such as small business rate relief — 100% off a rateable value of £12,000 or less, tapering to zero by £15,000 — while the valuation appeal questions the rateable value itself through the VOA. A relief claim asks nothing of the valuation and an appeal asks nothing of the relief, so the cases run in parallel. Two practical overlaps are worth knowing before you start:
| Question | Relief route (council) | Appeal route (VOA) |
|---|---|---|
| What it challenges | Whether a discount applies | Whether the rateable value is right |
| Who decides | Your billing council | The Valuation Office Agency |
| Does the other block it? | No — appeal can run alongside | No — relief can be claimed during an appeal |
| Effect of a win | Bill reduced by the relief percentage | Value cut, bill and most reliefs recalculated |
How a successful appeal changes your relief
Most reliefs are percentages of the bill or of the rateable value, so a value cut at appeal shrinks the base the relief works on. Small business rate relief on a £13,000 rateable value is worth more, in pounds, than the same relief on £11,000 only in the sense that the taper moves; the bill falls in both cases. Where a relief has a rateable value threshold, a reduction can bring you inside it — crossing under £51,000 moves you from the 48p standard multiplier to 43.2p as well. One caution: if the appeal raises the value, reliefs and thresholds recalculate the other way, which is why a valuation can go up after an appeal and the risk deserves a professional read before you commit.
The relief side: what to claim while the appeal runs
- Small business rate relief — 100% at £12,000 rateable value or below, tapering to zero between £12,001 and £15,000
- Retail, hospitality and leisure — since April 2026 these premises sit on the lower 38.2p or 43.0p multipliers, applied by the council where the criteria are met
- Empty property relief — three months free for most empty premises, six for certain industrial buildings
- Rural rate relief — 100% for the only shop, pub or petrol station in a settlement under 3,000 people
- Discretionary reliefs — councils can top up mandatory relief for local businesses; ask, because it is not applied automatically
The full list of relief schemes for small businesses compares them side by side.
The appeal side: what runs at the same time
The valuation challenge goes to the VOA, not the council — a billing dispute and a valuation dispute are different conversations. The stages carry strict windows: the VOA must issue a Challenge decision within 18 months, and an appeal to the Valuation Tribunal for England must be lodged within four months of that decision. How long a business rates appeal takes sets out the timeline stage by stage. Through all of it, keep paying the bill; an agreed reduction is refunded through the council once the list changes.
Common mistakes when running both
- Assuming a relief claim pauses or replaces the appeal — it does neither
- Missing the four-month tribunal window because the relief application took priority
- Not telling the council about the appeal, so bills and relief statements arrive on the old value
- Stopping payment mid-appeal and building arrears that outlast the case
How Appeal My Rates UK runs both tracks
Appeal My Rates UK is a firm of professional rating surveyors working across England and Wales. We read the valuation and the relief position together, run the VOA challenge where the value is wrong, and flag every relief the council should be applying in the meantime. Every case is assessed free before quoting, and the fee basis — no win, no fee for most instructions, a fixed fee for some — is confirmed in writing before you commit.
FAQ
Can I claim business rates relief and appeal at the same time?
Yes. Relief is claimed from your council and the valuation appeal runs with the Valuation Office Agency, so the two proceed in parallel and neither waives the other.
Will appealing my business rates affect my relief?
A successful appeal lowers the rateable value, and most reliefs are then recalculated on the lower figure. If a reduction crosses a threshold, such as £51,000, the multiplier changes too.
Do I have to pay business rates while appealing?
Yes — keep paying the bill while the appeal runs. A successful challenge is refunded through the council once the valuation list changes.
Who do I contact about business rates relief?
Your billing council administers reliefs, including small business rate relief and discretionary top-ups. The council cannot change the rateable value itself — that sits with the VOA.
Is small business rate relief applied automatically?
Many councils apply mandatory relief automatically where they hold the right information, but discretionary reliefs usually need an application. Check your bill rather than assuming.
What relief applies to shops, pubs and cafes in 2026-27?
Qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure premises pay the lower multipliers of 38.2p or 43.0p instead of 43.2p or 48p, applied by the council where the criteria are met.
One last thing
Check the relief before the appeal, not after. Relief claims often apply from the start of the billing year, while valuation changes take effect from the date the list is altered — waiting for the appeal to finish can leave unclaimed relief on the table that a claim lodged today would have covered.
Related guides
- Business rates eligibility: what you qualify for in 2026
- Pubs and live music venue relief: how the 15% discount works in 2026-27
