How to pay your business rates, and earn points on them
Business rates are paid to your local council, which sends the bill in February or March for the following tax year. The bill is your property's rateable value multiplied by the council's multiplier, less any relief. Paid through RewardsPilot, each instalment earns 4 points per £1.
When the business rates bill is due
- Your local council sends a business rates bill in February or March each year, for the following tax year.
- The bill shows the instalment dates. To pay in instalments, or to ask about relief, contact your council.
- In England and Wales the most recent revaluation took effect on 1 April 2026, based on rental values at 1 April 2024. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own systems.
The account reference
The business rates account number printed on the council's bill. Each property has its own account.
Ways to pay your local council
- Direct Debit, set up with your council.
- Bank transfer or online payment to the council, using the details and account number on the bill.
- Other methods your council offers, shown on the bill.
Source: GOV.UK, "Business rates". Checked 29 September 2026.
Paying the business rates bill through RewardsPilot
- Submit the business rates bill in the member portal with its amount, reference and pay-by date.
- RewardsPilot invoices the business. The invoice is due one day before the bill's pay-by date, so your local council is paid on time.
- RewardsPilot pays your local council on the business's behalf, using the reference on the business rates bill.
- When RewardsPilot's invoice is paid and clears, 4 RewardsPilot points per £1 of the business rates bill are credited. They never expire, transfer to airline miles, or sell back for cash at 3%.
| Business rates bill | RewardsPilot invoice (bill + 20% VAT on our service) | Points earned | Or sold back for cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| £5,000 | £6,000 | 20,000 | £150 |
What the points buy: how many Avios for a flight.
The VAT on RewardsPilot's invoice
RewardsPilot's invoice is for its own service, Corporate Membership and Business Services Ecosystem, and VAT is applied to the full taxable supply value.
Under the specialist tax advice and sign-off obtained for the approved structure, for VAT-registered businesses using the services for taxable business activities, the VAT is intended to be recoverable through the normal VAT return process, subject to the business's individual VAT position and the normal VAT recovery rules. In those circumstances it is principally a cash-flow timing consideration rather than a long-term additional cost.
This is not tax advice. Each business and its accountant should satisfy themselves that VAT recovery is appropriate to their circumstances, and RewardsPilot will speak directly with your accountant.
Questions
When is my business rates bill due?
Your local council sends a business rates bill in February or March each year, for the following tax year.
How many points does a £5,000 business rates bill earn?
20,000 RewardsPilot points, at 4 per £1. RewardsPilot's invoice is £6,000: the £5,000 business rates bill plus £1,000 VAT on RewardsPilot's service. Sold back for cash, the points are worth £150.
Does the local council still get paid on time?
Yes. RewardsPilot's invoice is due one day before the pay-by date, and RewardsPilot pays your local council using the reference on the business rates bill.
Is the VAT on RewardsPilot's invoice recoverable?
Under the specialist tax advice and sign-off obtained for the approved structure, for VAT-registered businesses using the services for taxable business activities, the VAT is intended to be recoverable through the normal VAT return process, subject to the business's individual VAT position and the normal VAT recovery rules. In those circumstances it is principally a cash-flow timing consideration rather than a long-term additional cost.
Rules are quoted from GOV.UK and can change; check your own bill or account for your deadline. Programme facts come from the published RewardsPilot rate and the Rewards Programme Rules.