Rates penalty remissions

Policy 24/101 Remission of Penalties

Allows Council to remove late payment penalties when a ratepayer usually pays on time, has set up a payment plan, or has had serious personal issues such as illness or family emergencies.

Objectives of the policy

Penalties are added where rates have not been paid by the due date.

The objective of this policy is to enable Council to act fairly and reasonably in relation to penalties applied when rates have not been paid by the due date.

Criteria and conditions

  1. Penalties on rates may be remitted when one or more of the following criteria are met:
    1. Where the ratepayer meets the payment conditions agreed with Council to resolve rates arrears.
    2. Where the ratepayer has an otherwise good payment history and has not received a penalty remission within the past and current financial year.
    3. Where there are extenuating circumstances, such as significant family disruption, illness or accident.
    4. Where the ratepayer pays rates by direct debit according to the payment conditions agreed
  2. The remission will apply to the period in which the application is approved and may not necessarily be backdated to previous years.
  3. The ratepayer has applied for rates remission under this policy and provided information in the prescribed form on how the relevant criteria are satisfied and has completed relevant statutory declarations as may be required by Council.

Apply for a remission

You can apply several ways:

Online

Step 1.Complete application

Fill in our online form.

Remission of Penalties online application

Step 2.Assess your application

We’ll check your application is complete and contact you if we need more information.

Step 3.Notification and remission applied

We will let you know the result of your application.

If your application is approved, the remission will be applied to your rates.

Depending on how you pay your rates, your payment amounts may need to change. We will let you know if you need to make any changes when we contact you.

Online:  Pay your land rates

Phone: 09 430 4200

By email

Step 1.Complete application

Download the application, print and complete it by hand.

Remission of Penalties application(PDF, 179KB)

Step 2.Email us

Email your completed application to:

Email: mailroom@wdc.govt.nz

Step 3.Assess your application

We'll check your application is complete and contact you if we need more information.

Step 4.Notification and remission applied

We will let you know the result of your application.

If your application is approved, the remission will be applied to your rates.

Depending on how you pay your rates, your payment amounts may need to change. We will let you know if you need to make any changes when we contact you.

Online:  Pay your land rates

Phone: 09 430 4200

By post

Step 1.Complete application

Download the application, print and complete it by hand.

Remission of Penalties application(PDF, 179KB)

Step 2.Post to us

Post your completed application to:

Whangarei District Council
Private Bag 9023
Te Mai
Whangārei 0143

Step 3.Assess your application

We'll check your application is complete and contact you if we need more information.

Step 4.Notification and remission applied

We will let you know the result of your application.

If your application is approved, the remission will be applied to your rates.

Depending on how you pay your rates, your payment amounts may need to change. We will let you know if you need to make any changes when we contact you.

Online:  Pay your land rates

Phone: 09 430 4200

In person

Step 1.Complete application

Download the application, print and complete it by hand.

Remission of Penalties application(PDF, 179KB)

Step 2.Bring into us

Bring your completed application into one of our Customer Service Centres:

Te Iwitahi (civic centre)
 9 Rust Avenue, Whangārei
Hours: Monday to Friday – 8:00am to 4:30pm
Closed public holidays

Ruakākā service centre 
9 Takutai Place, Ruakākā
Hours: Monday to Friday – 8:30am to 4:00pm
Closed public holidays

Service centre at isite
92 Otaika Road, Raumanga
Hours: Monday to Friday – 9:00am to 12:00pm and 12:30pm to 4:30pm
Closed public holidays

Step 3.Assess your application

We'll check your application is complete and contact you if we need more information.

Step 4.Notification and remission applied

We will let you know the result of your application.

If your application is approved, the remission will be applied to your rates.

Depending on how you pay your rates, your payment amounts may need to change. We will let you know if you need to make any changes when we contact you.

Online:  Pay your land rates

Phone: 09 430 4200

Need help?

If you need help completing the form or need us to send the form to you, give us a call or use our online enquiry form.

Enquire online

Phone: 09 430 4200 

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