The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is writing to pubs in England and Wales to request information about their rent and trade. 

The information you provide will be used to calculate the future rateable value of your property. Rateable values are used by councils to calculate business rates bills and decide if you are eligible for business rates reliefs. 

This is part of a process called a ‘revaluation’, where the rateable values of all business properties are updated to reflect changes in the property market. The next revaluation will come into effect on 1 April 2026. Your business rates bill may change from this date if the rateable value of your property changes.

Rateable values are based on the rent a property could have been let for on a certain date set in law. For this revaluation, that date is 1 April 2024.

For some types of property including pubs, the VOA can’t assess the value of the property from the rent alone. This is because a rental contract might include additional agreements, such as living accommodation for the tenant. The VOA therefore asks for trade information and analyses your income and expenditure to see what a reasonable rent might be. 

Requests for information were sent to a sample of pubs between January and August 2024. The letters were addressed to the ‘owner or occupier’, not a named individual.

It is important that you provide this information to ensure the business rates you pay are accurate and you receive any reliefs you are entitled to. You can complete the hard copy form they sent you by post or complete it online. 

Your property will be given a rateable value even if you don’t provide the information. The VOA will estimate your rent and level of trade and use these estimates to calculate your valuation. 

You only need to share your details if the VOA has asked you to. If you receive a letter and do not send the information within 56 days, you may have to pay a penalty.

For more information about why the VOA is requesting your pub’s trade information and what it is used for, go to the VOA's website.   

Our expert Helpline providers, Harris Lamb can assist with any questions you have about the process, how the VOA calculate your rateable value and more. You can view their website here.