The UK has highest property tax burden of any major economy: ‘Not a marginal difference’

May 18, 2026 · 5:36 AM UTC ·3 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 49 views

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

The UK has been identified as having the highest property tax burden among major economies, according to a report by global tax firm Ryan. This significant tax burden is expected to impact investment plans for many UK firms, as business rates are forecasted to rise substantially. The report highlights that the UK ranks first in property taxes as a share of GDP and second in total property tax revenues globally.

Key facts

▪The UK has the highest commercial property tax burden of any major economy.
▪Business rates receipts are forecast to rise to £37.1 billion for the 2026/27 financial year.
▪Experts warn that the high tax burden could negatively affect investment plans across UK firms.

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The Independent (UK) publishes from United Kingdom and files mainly under news. We currently carry 922 of its stories.

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Original publisher	The Independent
Canonical URL	https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-property-tax-business-rates-gdp-b2978383.html
Publication time	Mon, 18 May 2026 05:36:15 GMT
Retrieval time	2026-05-18T05:49:56.071Z
Last seen	2026-05-18T05:49:56.071Z
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Publisher visit	Yes — open original
Substitutes article?	No — link-out required for full text

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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

NewsUKHome NewsThe UK has highest property tax burden of any major economy: ‘Not a marginal difference’Global tax firm Ryan found that the UK ranks first globally for the property taxes as a share of gross domestic product (GDP)Henry Saker-Clark Monday 18 May 2026 06:36 BSTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":false,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"CF1:2978330To1","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-property-tax-business-rates-gdp-b2978383.html","title":"The UK has highest property tax burden of any major economy"}}Related: Chancellor paves way for Budget tax hikes as she warns…

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