Ratepayers in England and Wales have until 31 March 2026 to request changes to their current business rates valuation. The Valuation Office Agency made the position clear in a GOV.UK update, encouraging anyone who believes their valuation is wrong to ensure they can access a business rates valuation account in time to act.
From 1 April 2026, a new rating list and new valuations take effect. After that date, requests can only address the new valuation rather than the 2023 list that underpins bills up to 31 March 2026. The VOA updates all non-domestic rateable values every three years to reflect movements in the property market.
To seek a change to the current valuation, organisations must sign in to their business rates valuation account, review the details the VOA holds about the property and notify the agency if anything is incorrect. The VOA advises that registering and claiming a property can take up to 15 working days, particularly where there is no existing account or the account has not been used recently.
Access to the service requires either a Government Gateway user ID and password or a GOV.UK One Login. Where a Government Gateway account has been inactive for three years or more, it may have been deleted for security reasons; in such cases a new account must be created and the property reclaimed, a process that can again take up to 15 working days.
Any changes agreed to the 2023 valuation can move a property’s rateable value up or down, and the VOA indicates they may also affect the future valuation. Organisations should therefore ensure that any evidence provided is accurate and up to date.
Future rateable values can be viewed without logging in via the ‘find a business rates valuation’ service on GOV.UK. Queries about bills, reliefs or payment arrangements should be directed to the relevant local council, which remains responsible for billing.
Given the verification lead-time, 15 working days equates to around three calendar weeks. Those initiating registration close to the end of March are unlikely to complete the process before the 31 March cut-off, so early action is advisable.
The government has also confirmed that the Valuation Office Agency will be integrated into its parent department, HM Revenue & Customs, on 1 April 2026. According to the agency, this change will not affect live or future cases or the way services are accessed, including business rates valuation accounts.
For finance and property teams, the immediate tasks are to confirm access to the account, review property records held by the VOA and prepare any corrections well ahead of the deadline. Starting early reduces the risk that identity verification and property-claim checks delay a submission beyond 31 March 2026.