22 May 2025

Changes to rebates of rates payable from 1 July 2025

As part of the 2025 Government Budget, new criteria for eligibility for rates rebates has been announced Rates relief for up to 66,000 more SuperGold cardholders.

From 1 July 2025, the income threshold to be eligible for the maximum rebate for SuperGold Cardholders and their households will be lifted from $31,510 to $45,000.

The maximum rebate has also been increased from $790 to $805.

DIA has updated the application form for 2025 rating year and councils may need to make some administrative changes to their current processes.

We acknowledge the tight implementation window and appreciate your support in actioning these changes following their inclusion in Budget 2025.

Please review the information below and ensure your teams are prepared to implement any required updates to your local rates rebates processes.

Eligibility

Updated income thresholds for rates rebates as 1 July 2025:

SuperGold Cardholders - $45,000
Non-SuperGold Cardholders - $32,210

Application form for 2025 rating year

New features of the rates rebates application for 2025/26:

Updated rebate tables that demonstrate two income thresholds
Ratepayers are able to indicate if they hold a SuperGold Card
Evidence must be attached to prove that applicant holds a SuperGold Card
If a ratepayer receives a rebate early in the year and later becomes eligible for a SuperGold Card, they can reapply to their council for a top-up to the maximum rebate (if eligible)

New flyer for 2025/26

The poster remains generic but there is a new flyer for 2025/26 that includes the SuperGold Card eligibility.

Rates rebate calculator

The rates rebate estimator calculator at www.govt.nz/rates-rebates will modified for exact amounts from 1 July 2025. Councils can use this resource to calculate the rebate amounts for the 2025 rating year.

Read-only access to eRMS after 30 June 2025

The electronic Rebate Management System (eRMS) will be phased out of use from 1 July 2025.

Batches of claims can be submitted in eRMS (electronic Rebate Management System) until the morning of 30 June 2025.

From the afternoon of 30 June, all access will be changed to read-only. Batches submitted in eRMS will be paid in the usual way and the invoice details can be searched for in eRMS after 30 June 2025.

New way for councils to request refunds

All applications for a refund of rebates granted, regardless of the rating year, will be via the new process effective from 1 July 2025.

Within 5 working days after the end of each month, the council will email RatesRebates.OperationsDelivery@dia.govt.nz a request for refund form that declares the total amount that the council granted the previous month.

Attached to the email must be a spreadsheet that includes this information in every row:

Rating year (rating years start on 1 July)
Council name
Council Reference Number
Unique Property ID
SuperGold Card holder flag (Yes/No)
Rebate claim amount (including GST)

The council will need to maintain an internal list of the rebates associated with each payment.

The first time that your council will need to email the new request for refund form is in the first week of August, after the end of July.

The refund will be paid to the councils bank account and a remittance advice will be emailed in the normal way.

Process to revoke a rebate

If a ratepayers claim was submitted via eRMS up to 30 June and has been paid to the council, or was part of a request for refund from 1 July 2025, the council will email RatesRebates.OperationsDelivery@dia.govt.nz a request for adjustment form. The form will provide the difference between what was originally assessed and the new rebate amount, including where an applicant is no longer eligible for a rebate. The difference will affect the next monthly payment to the council.

The new council use-only forms will be available to download from eRMS from 1 July 2025 under the 'Publications' tab.

Audit of council rebates processes

The Department of Internal Affairs may begin conducting audits of council rates rebates processes to ensure compliance with the Rates Rebate Act 1973. How and when this will occur remains under discussion.

Key transitional dates

30 June 2025

Access to eRMS is changed to read-only
Last day to submit batches of claims in eRMS.

1 July 2025

New criteria for eligibility for rates rebates
New ratepayer application form can be ordered via the Bluestar portal along with the poster and flyer
Rebate online estimate calculator will be available at www.govt.nz/rates-rebates
New process to revoke a claim already paid to council
Batches submitted in eRMS will be paid during July and eRMS remains available to look up the invoice as normal.

August 2025

Within 5 working days after month-end, the council submits a request to refund the claims granted in July 2025.

Receive our newsletters

Let us know the best contact email for your rates rebates team, so you receive our future newsletters. Email: support@ratesrebates.govt.nz

Usually we send our rates rebates newsletters to all eRMS users. With eRMS being retired after 30 June 2025, we need to know the best email address to send the newsletter to your team in future.

Rates Rebate 'Council Handbook'

The Rates Rebate 'Council Handbook' will be updated and available from 1 July 2025. The handbook and recent newsletters can be found on the publications page of eRMS.

Retain ratepayers' forms for 7 years

Councils must keep the ratepayers' application forms for 7 years from the last information entry date. After 7 years they may be securely destroyed. The forms may be retained in hardcopy or digital format. Do not send ratepayers' forms to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).

Webinar about the new process

We will host a webinar using Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 27 May at 1pm. All eRMS users will automatically be sent an invitation to attend.

Council support for difficult enquiries not covered in the handbook or about the new process should be emailed to support@ratesrebates.govt.nz.

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