your rates questions answered - ethekwini municipality
12 March 2008

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions on the revaluation process. If you have personal queries, Daily News will do its best to answer them in forthcoming issues.

EDITION 1:

Q: What is the new rates randage amount?

A: The proposed rand rate is 0.009.

Q: If my property is worth R1 million, what will I pay each year, and what does that break down to as a monthly payment?

A: You will be paying R9 000 a year, or R750 monthly.

Q: Who qualifies as a pensioner?

A: If you have retired on a pension, and do not work, you qualify. Those of pensionable age who are still employed will not receive the exemption.

Q: Are only state pensioners eligible for the rates rebate?

A: No, all categories of pensioner will qualify.

Q: How much rebate do I get as a pensioner?

A: You will get the R120 000 rebate applicable to all rate-payers, in addition to an extra rebate of R280 000.

Q: Is that the same as child-headed households and those who receive grants due to physical disability?

A: Yes, they too will get a R280 000 rebate.

Q: Do I still get the pensioner or disabled discount if I live in a shareblock?

A: No. According to Louis Kruger, head of the income department for eThekwini, units in a shareblock are not rated individually. In this case the body corporate will still, as was previously the case, receive a single rates account for the entire block of flats. The body corporate will then incorporate this cost with the rest of their expenditure and raise a levy against all the units in the block. As the company owns the shareblock, and unit holders merely own shares in the company, there will be no pensioner rebates applicable.

Q: I live in a sectional title flat. Will my rates be individual, rather than included in the blanket levy that all flat dwellers pay?

A: Yes, you will now pay the rates applicable to your unit, rather than a portion of those owed for the whole block of flats, unlike share block units.

Q: What is the deadline for rates objections?

A: It has been set at 31 May 2008.

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