Rate bills to go out next week

Land & Property Services (LPS) will begin issuing rate bills to homes and businesses from the end of next week (21st April 2022).

For a second year, the Executive has frozen the element of the rate bill it is responsible for to help both households and businesses.  All businesses will be provided with a one month rates holiday (with some limited exceptions including utilities and larger food stores) while retail, hospitality, tourism, leisure, childcare, newspapers and airports will receive a three months rates holiday. The rates holiday amount will be discounted and shown on the overall bill issuing.

A wide range of rate reliefs and entitlements are available including; support for those entitled to Universal Credit, for people on a low income and for pensioners who live on their own.

LPS is encouraging anyone having difficulty paying to contact them for advice on payment arrangements and the range of support available. Visit the NI Direct - Rates Payment webpage for full details. 

There are a number of ways to pay your rate bill:                                                             

• Direct Debit is the easiest and most convenient way to pay and allows ratepayers to spread the cost over monthly instalments. You can set up a Direct Debit online.  
• Pay online by debit or credit card.
• Pay at any Post Office or PayPoint.
• Domestic ratepayers can receive 4% discount if they pay their 2022/23 Rates in full on or before 10^th June 2022.

The bill will set out the amount due for 2022/23, details of any rate relief which has been applied to your account and any arrears from previous years that have not been paid.  If you think the information on your bill is incorrect or if you have not received a bill please contact LPS.

Notes to editors: 

1. As of 31 March 2022, there were approximately 833,000 rateable domestic properties and 75,000 non-domestic properties in Northern Ireland.

2. For comparison purposes, the average household rate bill in NI remains lower than the average equivalent Council Tax bill (excluding water charges) in the rest of the UK (other factors such as household income and disposable income levels need to be factored into any substantive comparison). The 2022/23 average figures are: NI - £1,052, England - £1,493, Scotland - £1,238 and Wales -£1,588.

3.  Find further information on the NI Businesss Info webpage on rate holidays, and eligibility. 

4. Small Business Rate Relief has been extended for the 2022/23 year and will be automatically applied to eligible non-domestic rate accounts.  Find out more on the NI Business Info  - Small Business Rate Relief webpage. 

4.  For media queries contact the Department of Finance Press Office on 028 9081 6724 or 028 9081 6895, email dof.pressoffice@finance-ni.gov.uk.  Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer on 028 9037 8110.

5.  Follow us on Twitter - @dptfinance

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