Ratepayers who normally pay their Taupō District Council rates every quarter will instead pay only three instalments in the current rating year.

This change affects ratepayers who pay their rates quarterly and only impacts the current rates year (1 July to 30 June). Payments for ratepayers who pay their rates annually will also be delayed. Ratepayers who pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly are unaffected.

For its quarterly payers, the council normally sends out rates instalment notices on 1 August, 1 November, 1 February and 1 May, with payments due on the 20th of those months.

But because the council will not adopt its Long-term Plan until September, it will have to delay its normal rates instalment notices from August to October for annual payers with payments due 20 November; and switch to three rates payments in this financial year instead of four for its quarterly payers.

Sarah Matthews, Taupō District Council’s general manager organisation and performance, says the council will be writing to all ratepayers to explain the changes.

“For our quarterly ratepayers it’s really important for people to understand that while we are looking at rates rises this year, it’s not due to the shift to three payments instead of four,” Mrs Matthews says.

“We’re using the example of a pie to let them know that instead of slicing their rates pie into four pieces this year as usual, we’re instead slicing it into three.”

Mrs Matthews says the council is fully aware that many people will find it harder to manage three larger payments instead of four quarterly ones. She encourages people to contact council if they want to smooth their rates, by either making a voluntary rates payment in August, or switching to monthly payments.

For people struggling to pay their rates, the Department of Internal Affairs administers a rates rebate scheme. A link to this is on the council’s website at www.taupo.govt.nz/rates. Rates rebate applications will be sent out with rates invoices in October 2024 to those who applied for a rates rebate last year.

People with queries about their rates can contact the council’s customer services team on 07 376 0899 or email info@taupo.govt.nz.

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