Receive 4 per-cent discount by paying rates before May

Rate bills will start to arrive at homes and businesses from the start of next week (April3,  2023).

The bill will set out the amount due for 2023/24, details of any rate relief which has been applied to your account and also any arrears from previous years that have not been paid.

The Department of Finance have said that a wide range of rate reliefs and entitlements are available, including support for those entitled to Universal Credit through the Rate Rebate Scheme and a discount for pensioners who live on their own.

Land & Property Services (LPS) encourages anyone having difficulty paying rates to contact them for advice on the range of support available. Full details can be found at www.nidirect.gov.uk/ratespayment.

The Department are reminding rate payers that there are a number of ways to pay their bill, including by direct debit, online via debit or credit card, or at any post office or PayPoint.

To pay online via debit or credit card visit https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/pay-your-rates-online

Domestic ratepayers can receive 4 per-cent discount if they pay their 2023/24 rates in full on or before May 12, 2023.

Businesses may also be able to access a range of rate schemes. More details can be found at www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/help-available-business-rates.

The rateable values of all non-domestic properties have been reassessed and the new values come into force on 1 April 2023. Business rate bills this April will be based on the values in the new non-domestic valuation list. More details are available on the LPS Reval2023 website https://valuationservices.finance-ni.gov.uk/services/reval2023-values/Search.

If you think the information on your bill is not correct, or if you have not received a bill, please contact LPS.