# Cut business rates 20% for pubs and venues

> “Pubs, clubs and live music venues set to receive a 20% cut to their business rates bills saving the typical pub an estimated £1,100 next year”
>
> — HM Government; Press release from No 10, HM Treasury and the business department, 23 July 2026

- **Status:** Promised
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Taxes](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/taxes)
- **Speaker:** [HM Government](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/hm-government)
- **Made on:** 23 July 2026
- **Where:** Press release from No 10, HM Treasury and the business department
- **Deadline:** 1 April 2027
- **Cost a year:** Costs £0.09bn to £0.11bn a year (central £0.1bn)
- **Who it affects:** Nearly 32,000 pubs, clubs and live music venues in England (the very largest live music venues excluded)
- **When:** Business rates bills from April 2027; no end date given
- **Paid for by:** "Today’s changes will be fully funded, including through reviewing reliefs for businesses that do not make a positive contribution to local communities, such as vape shops."
- **Quote source:** https://www.gov.uk/government/news/burnham-means-business-pm-slashes-business-rates-bills-for-pubs-clubs-and-live-music-venues (checked word for word on 8 October 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0)
- **Last updated:** 8 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-pubs-business-rates-cut-2026

## Where it stands

The cut applies to bills from April 2027. The government says details of the exclusion for the very largest live music venues will be set out at the Budget, and the Chancellor told the Commons on 8 September 2026 that he would set out more details of business rates reform there.

## Timeline

- 23 July 2026, Promised: The government announces a 20% business rates cut for pubs, clubs and live music venues in England
- 1 April 2027, Deadline (to come): Due to apply to bills

## About the cost

Year shown: 2027-28, the first year of the cut. The government says the package is worth around £100 million a year. No independent costing has been published. Low–high is an editorial ±10% because the source gives a central figure only.

Costing sources:
- [No 10, HM Treasury and DBT press release (23 Jul 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/burnham-means-business-pm-slashes-business-rates-bills-for-pubs-clubs-and-live-music-venues)

## Sources

- [No 10, HM Treasury and DBT: Burnham means business: PM slashes business rates bills for pubs, clubs and live music venues (23 Jul 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/burnham-means-business-pm-slashes-business-rates-bills-for-pubs-clubs-and-live-music-venues)
- [HM Treasury: Treasury to call time on uncertainty for pubs and hotels (24 Aug 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/treasury-to-call-time-on-uncertainty-for-pubs-and-hotels)
- [Hansard (Commons): High Street Renewal (8 Sep 2026)](https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-09-08/debates/316E8598-025F-4C1E-B595-1D7CBC383C7C/HighStreetRenewal)

## Checks

- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 8 October 2026; human editor review to come.

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