Parish Rates and Appeals Procedure ( 11.8.40. )
LOCAL INFORMATION
11.8.40
Parish Rates and Appeals Procedure
Extent: Jersey
Updated: October 2017
_________________________________________________________________________
Words you may need to know
Rates - a tax levied by the parishes and government on all properties based on a fixed rateable value for each property
Demand – a request, here supported by law so that you have to do as you are asked.
Parish – Jersey is divided into twelve areas known as ‘parishes’
Parishioner – someone who lives in the parish
Liability - an obligation under the law
Occupy - to live in
Domestic - relating to or used in the home or everyday life within a household
Unwittingly - without knowing
There are two types of rates that are paid on property in Jersey:
- Parish rates
- the Island-wide rate
Detailed information about the rates including:
- what the parish and Island-wide rates are
- who pays them
- who decides the rateable value of a property
- when and how rates are paid
is available on the Parish of St Helier website: http://www.sthelier.je/rates/
In brief:
The Parish Rate
The Rates (Jersey) Law 2005 allows a Parish to demand rate payments from land owners, property owners and occupiers of property in each parish.
How much will I pay in parish rates?
Your liability for Rates depends on the rateable value of the 'land' which you own and/or occupy and whether it is assessed as being used for a 'Domestic purpose' or 'Non-domestic purpose'. How the rateable value is worked out is outlined below.
Every property or piece of land is designated a figure in "Quarters". Your house for instance may be set at 10,000 quarters.
At a Parish hall Assembly, Parishioners set a figure for what each quarter should be worth in order to bring in enough money to cover all the bills the Parish will have to pay for that year.
If the Parish Assembly set it at 1.85 pence per quarter, then the bill for your house would be £185.00. If you live in the property then you would pay all of it but if you rented the property out, then you would pay the Fonciers part ( the owners part) which is half, and the tenants would pay the Occupiers part, which is the other half.
Before the rates are set, the parish budget for the current financial year is approved by members of the Parish Assembly. This meeting is advertised by the Parish and is usually held in July or August. The amount of parish rates varies from parish to parish.
You can manage your rates online or download rates forms online from the website :
Appeals
When the quarters are set for your property or land you will be notified by letter.
There is a right to appeal against the figure and the letter tells you how to do this. You can check any time at the Parish hall when appeals are likely be held.
The Island Wide Rate
The Island Wide rate is collected by the parish and given to the States Treasury. The States Treasury then pay the parish a sum of money to cover the parish costs of supporting people in financial hardship who live in the parish.
The Island Wide Rate is fixed by the States and is the same amount for every parish. The amount the parish has to pay to the States depends on how many people in the parish are given support by the parish. (This system was introduced in 2005 and replaced the old welfare system)
On your Rates Demand you will see a separate assessment shown for the Island Wide rate and the Parish Rate. The two assessment figures are added together and the amount of rates you pay are charged on the combined figure. This is all shown on your Rates Dmand.
Tenant's Liability for Rates
The Rates (Jersey) Law 2005 provides that a person who is an occupier on 1 January is liable for the occupier's rate for that year. This applies whether the tenant occupies the accommodation for the whole year or only a few days.
You should be careful that you unwittingly become liable for the occupier's rates of two properties at the same time. This can happen if you accept the keys to a new property but don't return the keys of your previous accommodation before the 31 December. The landlords can list you as the occupier both of the previous property and the new property. The effect of this is that you owe rates for both properties.
If you are considering moving over the Christmas period and you think your move cannot be completed by 31 December, it would be better not to take the keys for the new property until after 1 January. You make sure as well that the lease agreement, and the liability or the rates, is checked.
Useful links
