Guidance

ChallengingChallenge yourthe business rates valuation

IfOnce you disagreehave withagreed yourthe property’sfacts rateableof valuethe setproperty bywith the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), you can challenge itthe usingvaluation yourif businessyou ratesthink valuationit’s account.wrong.

From:
Valuation Office Agency
Published
30 November 2020
Last updated
1826 MarchNovember 20262025 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

When you can submit a challenge

YouOnce mustyou submithave completed a check, you can challenge any valuation related to the same property:

  • within 4 months of the check casedecision
  • within and16 receivemonths of your check submission if the challenge is about a change in the surrounding area (such as roadworks)
  • if the VOA has not made a decision beforeon youyour check after 12 months

Properties may have lots of valuations from different dates due to physical facts changing during the business rates list.

You can only start a challenge.challenge if you have completed a check first.

The VOA updatesThe VOA updates the valuation of non-domestic properties every three years, known as a revaluation. Revaluation 2026 will come into effect on 1 April 2026. If you need to report changes to your current valuation, you must raise a check case by 31 March 2026. Changes you report to your current valuation will carry over to the 2026 valuation.

You

When willyou notcannot bemake ablea tochallenge

You makecannot changessubmit toa yourchallenge previousagainst valuationthe oncesame yourvaluation, newfor valuationthe comessame intoreason, effectmore onthan 1once. AprilFor 2026.example, Fromif thisyou date,tried youto cansubmit a challenge atwice previousbecause valuationof onlythe ifsame aroadworks checkissue, caseyour wassecond submittedchallenge bywould 31not Marchbe 2026.valid.

You canalso challengecannot thesubmit valuationa offurther yourchallenge non-domesticagainst property:

  • withinthe 4outcome months of receiving a checkprevious casechallenge  decisionyou’ve made.

  • within

    Before 16you monthssubmit ofa yourchallenge

    A check case submission if the challenge is about a changelegal inprocess thewith surroundingstrict arearules (suchso asyou roadworks)

  • ifwill theneed VOAto hasbe notfully madeprepared. aBefore decisionsubmitting ona yourchallenge, checkyou casewill afterneed 12a monthsfew things:

You

  • the mustreason haveyou aare validchallenging reason,(also known as grounds,the to‘grounds’)
  • the sendevidence ayou challenge:

    • have that the valuation is wrong

    • thea propertystatement shouldthat notsupports beyour valued at all

      challenge

    • thea propertyproposed needsnew torateable bevalue splitand orthe merged

      date it should start from

    • therent property details infor the publishedproperty, listif ofit businessis ratesrented valuations(even if you are wrong

      the landlord)

    theThe VOA recommends you review your valuation isand wrongcompare dueit to aproperties legalin decisionyour onarea anotherthat property

Whenare youof cannotsimilar submitage, asize challenge

Youand cannotcharacter. submitThis awill challengehelp foryou adetermine if your property morehas thanbeen once:

  • againstvalued fairly. You should consider the samesimilarities valuation

  • onand differences between your property and the sameones groundsyou are comparing it with.

IfYou youcan wantuse the VOA’s online service to makecompare anotheryour challengeproperty basedwith onothers groundsin youthe havesame previously‘valuation used,scheme’. itYou mustcan befind aout whollymore newabout circumstancevaluation withschemes aand differenthow effectivethe dateVOA values non-domestic properties.

Example

If

Reasons youfor submitmaking a challenge due(grounds)

Grounds tofor roadworks,a youchallenge cannotinclude:

  • the submitvaluation awas secondwrong challengewhen forthe thoserating roadworks.list Youwas cancreated
  • there’s raisebeen a checkchange caseto andthe challengeproperty foror newsurrounding unrelatedarea roadworks that startedshould atbe ashown differentin date.the Ifrateable youvalue submit(for example, long-running roadworks)
  • a challengechange twicemade forto the samevaluation roadworksby issue,the yourVOA secondis challengewrong, willor nothasn’t bebeen valid.

Youmade

  • the alsodate cannotof submit a challengechange againstmade by the outcomeVOA ofis awrong
  • the previousproperty challenge.should Ifbe yousplit disagreeinto withmore athan challengeone decision,property, youor willcombined needwith toothers appealinto witha thesingle Valuationproperty
  • a Tribunal.

    Beforeproperty youshould submitbe aremoved challenge

    Reviewfrom, youror valuationadded andto, comparethe itrating to list

  • the valuationsvaluation ofis similarwrong propertiesdue to seea iflegal yourdecision on another property
  • the hasproperty beendetails valuedare fairly.wrong Compareor their:

    • locationincomplete
    • age
    • size
    • purpose
    • differences

    You cancan’t findusually outchallenge moreon aboutthe howsame thegrounds VOAmore valuesthan non-domesticonce. properties. 

    WhenIf submittingyou want to make a challenge,challenge in the future based on grounds you needhave topreviously provide:

    • theused, reasonyou forcan youronly challenge
    • evidencedo thatso theif valuationit ishas wrong
    • a statementdifferent thateffective supportsdate. yourFor example, you can only submit one challenge

    • a proposedbecause newof rateableroadworks valuethat andstarted theon date1 itJanuary should2025 startbut from

    • rentcan details,submit includinga rent-freenew periods,challenge for theroadworks propertystarting ifon ita isdifferent date.

      Supporting evidence

      Unlike a rentalcheck, (evenwhich ifis youall areabout the landlord)

    factual details, a challenge is against the valuation of a property. Your evidence must showexplain why youryou think the current valuation is wrong.wrong Itand canfully include:support your requested changes.

    Evidence you may wish to submit includes:

    • valuations of similar local properties

    • legal decisions

    • any other documents that support your challenge, such as photographs of the land or property and local environment

    InIf youryou supportingdo statement,not clearlysend stateevidence whyof youthe arechanges makingyou’re aasking challengethe andVOA summariseto yourmake, evidence.they Explainwill howtell youryou evidence supports your challenge andis whyincomplete. yourIf proposedit’s rateablenot valuecorrected iswithin correct in the statement.

    Howtime tolimit makegiven, ayour challenge

    1. Sign inwill tobecome your businessinvalid ratesand valuationwill account.

    2. Selectnot theresult listin ofa propertiesdecision. inIf thethis ‘Yourhappens, properties’you’ll section.

    3. Selectneed theto propertysubmit whoseanother valuationchallenge youto wantthe tosame challenge.

    4. Selectvaluation, itsand currentpossibly valuation.another check.

    5. OpenYou themust ‘Checks’be tabsure andto selectsubmit ‘Startall ayour challenge’.

    6. Selectevidence thetogether reasonas foryou’ll youronly challengebe andable continue.

    7. Uploadto yoursubmit supportingfurther evidence.

    8. Enterevidence yourlater proposedin rateableexceptional value.

    9. Uploadcircumstances a(for supportingexample, statementif summarisingthe your evidence anddid argument.

    10. Reviewnot yourexist challengeuntil andpart-way submit.through a challenge).

    • Supporting statement

    YouYou’ll mustneed submitto allmake sure your evidencesupporting togetherstatement whenclearly sendingshows yourwhy you are making a challenge. You canneed onlyto submitexplain furtherhow your evidence latersupports inyour exceptionalchallenge circumstances,and forwhy example,your ifproposed therateable evidencevalue didis notcorrect.

    It’s exista untilgood partidea wayto throughuse ayour challenge.

    Yousupporting maystatement haveto to paymake asure penalty ifyou’ve youincluded knowinglyeverything submitin falseyour informationchallenge that you need to themake VOA.it valid.

    After you submit a challenge

    The VOA will review your evidence and may contact you to discuss your challenge. If wethey agree with your case, we’llthey’ll changeamend the valuation and send you written confirmation.

    If wethey partly agree with your case, we’llthey’ll send an agreement form thatfor you need to completecomplete, andthen return.amend the valuation after you return the form.

    If you and the VOA docannot not agree on an outcome, we’llthey’ll issue atheir decision.decision Weexplaining willtheir explain our view and state any amendments to the valuation wethey intend to make. WeThis will sendbe thisissued to the person makingwho submitted the challenge and(and the ratepayer,ratepayer if they arearen’t not the same person.person).

    If the VOA needs more informationinformation, orthey evidence, we will contact you. You needshould respond to provide this within the time limit wethey give.give, Ifotherwise you do not:

    • the VOA may make a decision without the information
    • youradditional challengeinformation.

      Rateable values and business rates may becomego invalidup withoutor thedown neededfollowing evidencea andchallenge, notor resultthey incould aremain decision

    Yourthe rateablesame. valueThis andis businessbecause ratesthe billsVOA may goreview up,the downvaluation orto remaintake theaccount sameof followingany anew challenge.information, such as new trade information.

    Sharing your challenge information with others

    The VOA will sharesend information about your challenge into line with the checkbilling andauthority, challengeincluding privacy notice.the:

    If

    • details youwhich haveidentify notyour property
    • date that the challenge was submitted
    • current arateable challenge,value
    • proposed butrateable arevalue and the ownerdate orthat occupierit ofshould aapply property,from
    • outcome youof canthe ask:

      challenge
    • for

      Any updatesperson onwho theasks progressto ofsee the challenge

    • to consentinformation, including evidence you provided, has the right to anysee agreedit alteration

    Toand requestto updatesbe ongiven thea challenge:copy.

    1. RegisterWhere for the onlinechallenge service.

    2. Addis made by the propertyowner tothe yourVOA account.

    3. Emailwill ccaservice@voa.gov.ukalso withsend a copy,  including the request.supporting evidence, to the occupier.

    TheIf VOAyou willhave letany questions about information being shared you knowshould contact the outcomeVOA ofby theemailing challengeccaservice@voa.gov.uk.

    When andsomeone whatelse thatsubmits meansa challenge for your property. 

    Extra supportproperty

    TheBoth VOAthe owner and occupier can giveask you extrato support ifbe youkept haveinformed aof healththe conditionprogress orof personalthe circumstancechallenge thatand makesto usingconsent ourto onlineany serviceagreed difficult.

    Ifalteration. youTo cannotdo challengethis, register afor valuationthe throughonline yourservice and businessclaim ratesthe valuationproperty, account,then email ccaservice@voa.gov.uk or contact. the The VOA to requestwill itlet manually.you know what the outcome of the challenge is and what that means for your property.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 November 2020
    Last updated 1826 MarchNovember 20262025 + show all updates

    1. Clearer instructions added for how to submit a challenge.

    2. Added information related to check deadline ahead of revaluation 2026.

    3. The 'Sharing your challenge information with others' section has been updated in line with practices.

    4. A Welsh translation has been added.

    5. Updated information for Wales

    6. Updated for the 2023 rating list

    7. First published.

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