South Dublin County Council. Your Council and Commercial Rates

Transcription

1 South Dublin County Council Your Council and Commercial Rates 2016

2 Your Council and Commercial Commercial Rates are a form of local property tax, the income from which is used to fund a wide range of local services and annual activities throughout the County. Commercial rates are payable on commercial/ industrial properties, advertising stations and water infrastructure. The range of services delivered by the Council to support safe and attractive living, work and business environments in South Dublin include public lighting, footpath repair and maintenance, car parking, traffic management, parks, sports facilities and playgrounds, drains, river basin management and flood alleviation, litter management, enforcement of waste regulations, the fire service, planning service, libraries, community and arts facilities and Local Government representation. The cost of providing such services and operations for citizens and businesses in South Dublin County will be 226 million in Details about the budget and planned expenditure for 2016 are available at policies-and-plans/budgets-and-spending/ annual-budget The following table represents the range and value of accounts which will be billed for commercial rates in 2016 by South Dublin County Council: Annual Rates Billing Bands Commercial Rates 2016 No. of Accounts % of Ratepayers in this Category 0 to 5,000 8,666, , % 5000 to 10,000 11,505, , % 10,000 to 50,000 33,548, , % 50,000 to 100,000 18,443, % 100,000 to 500,000 26,671, % 500,000 to 1,000,000 7,201, % > 1,000,000 11,562, % Total 117,599, , %

3 Rates How are rates calculated? The rates multiplier or Annual Rate on Valuation (ARV) is agreed by the elected members of the Council during the annual budget process and applied to the valuation of each property to produce the rates bill. The Valuation Office operates as a state agency, independent of local government and of rate payers and determines the valuation of each property. The commercial rates multiplier has not been changed for 2016 and remains at Commercial Rates are calculated as follows: Valuation of a premises (as determined by the Commissioner of Valuation) x ARV Rates Multiplier (0.162) Example: If the rateable valuation of a property is 10,000 and the rates multiplier (ARV) for 2015 is 0.162, the commercial rates billed in 2015 for that property are 10,000 X = 1,620. Vacant property Whereas rates are payable on vacant premises, application may be made for a rates credit if the vacancy is the result of inability to obtain a tenant, or for the purpose of carrying out repairs, alterations, or extensions. If you are the owner of a vacant premises please notify the Council as soon as possible, and that fact will be recorded.

4 Application for the Vacancy Credit should be made either after the period of vacancy, or in July and December 2016, whichever is the sooner. Application for any period of vacancy prior to 2016 should be made immediately. Please note that if an application for a Vacancy Credit is not made, the rates will be deemed to be payable and collection will be pursued. The application form for Vacancy credit is available at under the Business tab, or by ing Ratesdept@sdublincoco.ie Payment of Commercial Rates Commercial Rates can be paid by a variety of methods including by: monthly direct debit, in cash at the Council s Payments Office, bank transfer or bank draft Debit card or electronic funds transfer. Please contact the Debt Collection Unit at dcu@sdublincoco.ie or by telephone at ext 7285 if you wish to discuss or enter into payment arrangements for your commercial rates. Further information about Commercial Rates including some frequently asked questions is available on the Council website, under the Business tab.

5 Section 32 Local Government Reform Act 2014 Duty to inform Rating Authority of transfer of relevant property Section 32 requires the owner of a rateable property to notify the Local Authority in writing of a change of occupier within two weeks of the date of transfer of the property or of an interest in it. This includes instances where a rateable property becomes vacant. In default of the required notification and where arrears are not discharged at the time of transfer an additional penalty (charge) may be incurred by the owner equivalent to a maximum of two years rates. Any penalty (charge) due by the owner of a rateable property and not discharged will remain a charge on the property. The Section also imposes a duty on the person transferring the property being either the occupier or the owner, to discharge all rates for which he/she is liable at the date of the transfer of the property. Section 32 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 came into force on Tuesday 1st July A standardised Transfer of relevant property form and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) are available from our website at

6 South Dublin County Council, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24 Tel: Web: