Glossary · UK
What is Rates (Northern Ireland)?
NI's property tax — replaces Council Tax, made up of a regional rate and a district rate based on capital value.
Full Definition
Northern Ireland has no Council Tax. Instead, domestic property owners and tenants pay «rates», calculated by applying a combined poundage (regional rate set by the NI Executive plus district rate set by the local council) to the property's capital value as assessed by Land & Property Services on 1 January 2005 prices. A typical 2025/26 bill is the property's capital value × roughly 0.85p in the pound, though the exact poundage varies by council area. Reliefs include the Low Income Rate Relief, Disabled Persons Allowance, Lone Pensioner Allowance and Housing Benefit. Non-domestic rates fund local business taxation similarly.