Commercial Rates originated in the 19th century when all property was valued based on its annual letting value. It is essentially a property tax on commercial premises. Rates on domestic properties were abolished in 1977 and on agricultural land & buildings in 1982.
- Payments of Commercial Rates
- Why do we charge Commercial Rates?
- How are Commercial Rates calculated?
- Commercial Rates - Frequently Asked Questions
- What do I do if my property is vacant?
- Ratepayers in difficulty
- Offset on account (contra-entry)
- Entry Year Property Levy
Payments of Commercial Rates
Commercial Rates are payable in two equal parts each year. The first part is payable immediately upon receipt of the Commercial Rates Demand and the second is due on the 1st July.
Please quote customer account and Invoice number from the Rate Demand when making payment.
Limerick City and County Council has the following payment methods available to our ratepayers:
Online
To pay your Commercial Rates online please click here.
Pin available on request. Please email rates@limerick.ie or call 061 556360
Electronic
To complete an Electronic funds transfer to Limerick City and County Council please use the following account details:
| IBAN: | IE93AIBK93524787042040 |
| BIC: | AIBKIE2D |
| Bank Name: | Allied Irish Bank Plc, 106-108 O’Connell Street, Limerick |
| Account Reference: | Quote your Rates Account Number on all payments. |
Direct Debit
By direct debit, monies are deducted on the fourth Friday of each month to clear liability by 31st December of the given year. Please note that as it takes 14 days to set up a direct debit, forms will need to be with Limerick City and County Council in the first week of the month to activate the direct debit during this month.
A Direct Debit Form can be downloaded from the supporting documents at the end of the page or a form can requested by email: directdebitrates@limerick.ie.
Postal Orders
Payable to Limerick City and County Council and can be posted or presented to our Cash Offices in Dooradoyle or Merchants Quay, Limerick.
By Credit Card or Debit Card
Please contact the cash office at (061) 557296 or (061) 556000 between 9.15am - 4pm, Monday to Friday, to arrange this type of payment.
By Post
Please quote your Account and Invoice number. (Do NOT send cash in the post.)
In Person
At the Cash Office in Dooradoyle or Merchant's Quay, Limerick between the hours of 9.15am – 4pm, Monday to Friday.
At one of our area offices which operate Monday to Friday during the following times; Kilmallock, Newcastle West and Rathkeale 9.15am - 4pm.
Standing Order
Full amount to be paid by 31st December. To download the Standing Order Form, please see supporting documents at the end of the page.
If you wish to make arrangements to pay by instalments, this can be arranged through your Revenue Collector. Limerick City and County Council is divided into districts for the purposes of collection and each district is assigned a Revenue Collector.
Why do we charge Commercial Rates?
Commercial Rates are a property-based source of income for local authorities. The income from Commercial Rates underpins the entire range of services provided by local authorities.
Commercial Rates income is a very important source of income for Limerick City and County Council, therefore the timely collection of commercial rates is vitally important for the efficient running of the Council.
Commercial Rates are payable in equal moieties, the first on receipt of the demand, and the second on 1st July. Revenue Collectors have responsibility for the collection of Commercial Rates in Limerick City and County Council.
Where the Collector is unable to obtain payment in the normal way, legal proceedings may be taken to recover the outstanding amount with costs. The local authority can offset any monies due to a Ratepayer against rates due.
How are Commercial Rates Calculated?
The Annual Rate on Valuation (ARV) is the figure used to calculate the annual Commercial Rates payable by the Occupier of a rateable property each year.
This figure is determined by the elected members of the Council at the annual budget meeting each year, based on the deficit between Council income and expenditure for the forthcoming year.
For 2023, the Annual Rate on Valuation is 0.2797.
The Annual Rate on Valuation figure is multiplied by the Valuation amount of the premises as determined by the Commissioner of Valuation.
For example:
If your property has been valued at 20,000.00 by the Valuation Office then your Commercial Rates bill for 2023 will be:
20,000.00 X 0.2797 (ARV for 2023) = €5,594.00
Disclaimer:
The Rates Calculation provided above gives you a sample rates liability for 2023.
Commercial Rates - Frequently Asked Questions
Commercial Rates FAQs - click here
What do I do if my property is vacant?
The property must be vacant on the date of making the rate. The date of making the rate 2023 was the 2nd February 2023.
The property must be habitable and maintained to a level that would allow its use for commercial purposes.
Payment, if applicable as outlined on the table below, must be receipted to the account prior to the application being submitted.
Approved applications will result in a write-off of the % allowance within the property value category. The write off cannot be applied if the payment due within the category is not made.
If a vacant property is sold Commercial Rates are due in full in the year of sale.
For 2023, there are 3 Categories under which the Vacant Property Grant Allowance Scheme applies;
|
Up to €11,888 Annual Rate Demand |
50% write off/grant of annual rate demand amount on that property subject to Terms and Conditions - Payment of 50% required with this application |
|
€11,889 to €59,590 Annual Rate Demand |
25% write off/grant of annual rate demand amount on that property subject to certain Terms and Conditions - Payment of 75% required with this application |
| €59,591 and over | 10% write off/grant of annual rate demand amount on that property subject to certain Terms and Conditions - Payment of 90% required with this application |
Vacant Property Forms for 2020, 2021 and 2022 can be downloaded in the supporting documents at the end of the page.
Ratepayers in Difficulty
Limerick City and County Council are actively working with customers who have outstanding balances on rates to facilitate payment plans. Ratepayers in the City and County that are experiencing financial difficulties should contact their Revenue Collector to agree an acceptable payment plan.
Offset on Account (contra-entry)
A situation can arise whereby a commercial rates customer may also be a supplier of goods or services to Limerick City and County Council. Should a situation arise whereby Limerick City and County Council owes money to a commercial rates customer for goods supplied or services rendered, and at the same time commercial rates are outstanding with that customer, the local authority reserves the right to apply an offset (contra-entry) on account. This effectively allows for the payment of rates to be funded by way of amounts owing by the local authority to the rates customer. See the Local Government (Financial Provisions) (No. 2) Act, 1983.
Entry Year Property Levy
The Entry Year Property Levy (PEL) is a charge which the local authority applies to newly erected or newly constructed properties pending the levying of commercial rates. It was introduced for the first time in 2008 under the Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Act 2006, which was enacted on the 24th December 2006.
PEL is only charged in the year before the property becomes active in the Rate Book.
How is the Entry Year Property Levy Calculated?
The charge is calculated by reference to:
Rateable valuation on the property as determined by the Commissioner of Valuation.
- The annual rate on valuation (ARV) as determined by the Council.
- The date (entry date) the property is valued for rating purposes (i.e. entered in the valuation list).
- The number of days from the effective valuation date to the end of the year
For example?
A property is newly constructed and capable of occupation on and it is valued for rating purposes on 2nd February 2023 with a rateable valuation of 10,000. The annual rate on valuation (ARV) determined by the Council at its annual Budget Meeting for 2023 is 0.2797.
The bill for the relevant portion of the year would be calculated as per the following example:
R.V. x ARV ÷ days in year x number of days = Assessment
10,000 x 0.2797 ÷ 365 x 325 = €2,490.48
Payments of Entry Year Property Levy
The Entry Year Property Levy is due within 14 days of the date of the invoice.
Please quote customer account and invoice number from the invoice when making payment.
Limerick City and County Council is happy to offer the payment methods as outlined above.
Please contact the Rates Department for further information regarding your Revenue Collector on 061 556360.