Rates Rebate Calculator

This calculator estimates the rates rebate you may be entitled to under New Zealand's government Rates Rebate Scheme, which helps lower-income households with the cost of their council rates. Rates are one of the larger fixed costs of owning a home, and many people do not realise that a rebate, a partial refund of the rates on the home you live in, is available if your income is modest. The scheme is run nationally and applied for through your local council each rating year. How much you get depends on three things: your total annual rates, your household income for the previous tax year, and the number of dependants you support. The rebate is generous for low incomes and tapers off as income rises, up to a maximum set each year. This tool applies the official formula so you can estimate your rebate before you apply. You enter your annual rates, your household income, the number of dependants, and the scheme's income threshold and maximum rebate, which are pre-filled with the current year's figures but can be adjusted as they change. The calculator returns your estimated rebate, the maximum available, your income excess above the threshold, and what you would still pay after the rebate. The results update as you type, so you can see how income and dependants affect the outcome. Use it to check whether applying is worthwhile and to estimate the amount. The calculation follows the standard scheme formula: two-thirds of your rates above a small base, reduced by one-eighth of your income above the threshold, capped at the maximum. This is an estimate only; your council makes the final assessment, and you must apply each year, usually by 30 June.

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Rebate = 2/3 of (rates - $160) minus 1/8 of income above the threshold, capped at the maximum. Threshold rises $500 per dependant. An estimate; your council assesses and you must apply each year.