Major revaluation of all commercial and industrial properties in Tipperary announced

The Valuation Office, the State property valuation agency, has  commenced the process of posting proposed valuation certificates to commercial and industrial ratepayers in Tipperary and a number of other counties.

This is an important milestone in the revaluation of all non-domestic property in Ireland which is currently underway through a programme known as the National Revaluation Programme.

The first revaluation of non-domestic property  -  commercial and industrial properties - has already been completed elsewhere in the country.

 Neither residential property nor agricultural lands are rateable and consequently will not be affected by the revaluation.

The proposed valuation of each property has been arrived at by reference to relevant market rental information at the specified valuation date of  September 15,  2017.

A revaluation is necessary to bring more equity and transparency into the local authority rating system and to ensure that all ratepayers pay a fair share of the commercial rates to be raised.

Following revaluation, there is a much closer and more uniform relationship between contemporary rental values of property and their commercial rates liability.

The revaluation will result in a redistribution of the commercial rates liability between ratepayers depending on the relative shift in the rental values of their properties in relation to each other.

While an individual occupier’s rates liability may increase or decrease, the revaluation will not increase the overall commercial rates income of the local authority. 

The commercial rates income of each local authority is capped in the year following a revaluation.

The Proposed Valuation Certificates will state the valuation that the valuation office proposes entering for each property when the new valuation list in their respective county is published on  September 17, 2019.

 The valuations will be used to calculate the rates charged by the relevant local authorities in 2020 and subsequent years. 

It is important to note that the proposed valuation entered on the Proposed Valuation Certificate is not a bill for rates but is a statement of  the proposed valuation on which rates will be calculated from  January 1,  2020. 

If a ratepayer accepts that the valuation set out in the Proposed Valuation Certificate is correct, they do not need to respond.

If a ratepayer is dissatisfied with his or her proposed valuation or any of the details contained in the Proposed Valuation Certificate he or she should make “representations” within 40 days of the date of issue of the said Certificate. 

The closing date for making representations is clearly printed on each Proposed Valuation Certificate.

 If making representations, an occupier must provide clear reasons and supporting evidence to justify any proposed changes, including an alternative valuation where the latter is being contested.

Walk-in clinics will be held in locations in each local authority area. Staff will be available to answer queries relating to the issue of Proposed Valuation Certificates. 

No appointment will be necessary.

Ratepayers are asked to bring their Valuation Certificate along with them. These clinics will provide ratepayers with an opportunity to discuss the valuation of their particular property on a one to one basis with the officers of the Commissioner of Valuation who have been working on the revaluation projects.

Details of dates and locations for these clinics are available on the Valuation Office website at

www.valoff.ie.

When all the representations made by ratepayers have been considered, Final Valuation Certificates will be issued on   September 10, 2019 and new valuation lists will be published on  September 17  2019. 

These valuations will then be used by the relevant county council to calculate their respective rates charges for the 2020 rates year and subsequent years. 

 The Valuation Office website, www.valoff.ie, sets out detailed information about the revaluation and the representations process. 

There will be a dedicated customer support team to deal with revaluation queries by email at Reval2019@valoff.ie or by telephone at 01 8171033 between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.