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Rates relief, rebates and exemptions

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Learn if you’re eligible for Council rates discounts, relief, concessions and exemptions.

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About rates relief, discounts and concessions

You may be eligible for a saving or exemption on your Council rates. These include:

  • early rates payment discounts
  • exemptions from paying certain rates and fees
  • rebates for pensioners
  • relief for financial hardship
  • rebates for not-for-profit organisations
  • rebates for bushland preservation agreements.

You could be eligible for an early rates payment discount of up to $60 per year.

To be eligible for this discount, you must:

  • pay your rates by the due date
  • pay rates for properties in Categories 1 and 10

For more information, read the Resolution of Rates and Charges in Council's Annual Plan and Budget.

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If you don’t pay your rates within 30 days of the issue date, you’ll be charged interest.

You're eligible for rate capping if you're the owner-occupier of a residential property (Category 1, 1GA, 10, 10AA and 10GA).

This caps any increase on your general rates to a maximum of 7.5% (based on the previous year's net general rates). If the general rate increase is higher, Council will credit you the amount over the cap.

You don't need to apply for rate capping. It’s automatically applied once your owner-occupier status is recorded.

The following conditions also apply:

  • The owner of the land must live permanently on the land.

  • The concession does not apply to any land held in the name of a trust or company. 

To learn more about rate capping, read the full rates summary in Council's Annual Plan and Budget.

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Apply for Category 1 Owner-Occupier property rating

You can apply to have your property rated Category 1 Owner-Occupier if you're a residential owner who has no more than two self-contained dwellings on a single assessment.

The second dwelling must be occupied by a family member OR the secondary dwelling must be occupied by a family member who is infirm and be less than 80m2.  If the secondary dwelling is used for paid guest accommodation or let out under tenancy arrangement it is not eligible.

Download the Application to change rating category form:

Rates exemptions

Council offers certain rates exemptions to eligible ratepayers. These include exemptions from:

  • the Rate Account and Establishment Fee – this is the one-off fee of $309.30 including GST that’s charged to establish a new rate account when a property transfers ownership
  • general rates – these are the rates you’re billed for every quarter.

Rate Account and Establishment Fee exemption

You may be exempt from paying the one-off $309.30 Rate Account and Establishment Fee if you meet certain criteria.

You can apply for an exemption if:

  • it's your first home in Australia, the owner is living in it and:
    • all owners are at least 18 years of age
    • at least one owner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident
    • none of the owners have previously owned a home in Australia
    • the purchase price (including house and land) was less than $750,000
    • the application is submitted within 12 months of the title transfer date or within 24 months of the title transfer for new builds on vacant land.
  • there’s a:
    • change of name on the title after a marriage 
    • transfer to, or inclusion of, a spouse/de facto/partner because of an amalgamation or separation of assets on the main residence
    • transmission to surviving joint tenant/s after the death of another joint tenant/s
    • transfer where no money is exchanged
    • transfer as a gift or due to an established relationship (for example, from one friend or family member to another) 
    • transfer by consent/direction of a Court
    • pursuant to a will or intestacy, or
    • transfer of occupancy from long-term leases to freehold title of their units for residents of Retirement Villages registered as such with the Department of Justice and Attorney-General.

You’re not eligible for this exemption if you’ve purchased:

  • vacant land, unless you build and occupy a home on the land within 24 months (applications must be made once the home is occupied)
  • in the name of a trust
  • in the name of a company.

You can apply for an exemption online by using our Rate account rebate application form.

Alternatively you can apply for an exemption by downloading a hardcopy form.

You can submit the completed form:

  • by email 
  • by mail to:
    Brisbane City Council
    GPO Box 1434
    Brisbane Qld 4000.

General rates exemption

Certain properties may be exempt from paying general rates. These include properties used for the following purposes:

  • public (e.g. recreational or sporting activities)
  • religious (e.g. a church)
  • charitable (e.g. free temporary emergency accommodation)
  • educational (e.g. a school).

To apply for a general rates exemption for one of these properties, you must:

  • write a letter on the relevant organisation’s letterhead
  • have the letter signed by an authorised signatory (e.g. a property owner or director)
  • include the:
    • contact name and number
    • address of the property
    • rate account number
    • type of organisation and what the property will be used for (e.g. public, religious, charitable or educational purposes).

To submit your application, you can:

Rates rebates 

Rates rebates are available for certain ratepayers, including:

Council rebate for pensioners 

There are two types of Council rebates available to pensioners: maximum and partial rebate.

The maximum rebate is available to people on a full pension. Under this scheme, Council grants a 40% rebate on rates up to a maximum of $312 per quarter ($1248 per year).

You may be eligible for this rebate if you receive the:

  • Age Pension
  • Carer Payment
  • Disability Support Pension
  • Parenting Payment Single 
  • Service Pension
  • War Widow/Widower pensions with full Income Support Supplement.

A partial rebate is available to people on:

  • an allowance/benefit
  • a part pension. 

Under this scheme, Council grants a 20% rebate on rates up to a maximum of $156 per quarter ($624 per year).

You may be eligible for this rebate if you receive a:

  • part pension
  • government allowance/benefit
  • War Widow/War Widower pension with less than full or no Income Support Supplement
  • Disability/TPI/EDA pension.

You may also be eligible if:

  • you hold a Queensland Veterans' Affairs Repatriation Health Card for all conditions (Gold Card) but receive no payment.

To be eligible for the maximum or partial pensioner rebate, you must:

  • own and live on the property permanently
  • meet the conditions of the respective rebates
  • be a life tenant, resident of a retirement village or beneficiary of a special disability trust.
  • have one of the following:
    • a current Centrelink Queensland Pensioner Concession Card
    • a Queensland issued Veterans' Affairs Gold Card
    • a Queensland issued Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card.          
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Note

Rebates can only be granted on one property per quarter.

If you receive a pension/allowance, you’ll need to provide:

  • your Queensland Pensioner Concession Card or Gold Card
  • proof of pension/allowance.

If you’re applying for a maximum or partial rebate, you'll need to provide:

  • your Queensland Pensioner Concession Card or Queensland Veteran Card for All Conditions (Gold Card)
  • a copy of your rates notice (if possible)
  • proof of pension (concession eligibility letter from Centrelink Queensland or Department of Veterans' Affairs).

To apply for a pensioner rebate on Council rates:

If you are a life tenant, resident of a retirement village or beneficiary of a special disability trust, you can only apply at a customer centre or ward office.

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Application deadlines

Pensioner rebate applications should be received by Council by the following dates to ensure it starts at the next rates period:

  • 31 March
  • 30 June
  • 30 September
  • 31 December.

If your pension changes, you must notify Council.

Queensland Government subsidy for pensioners

For eligible pensioners, the State Government grants a 20% rebate on rates accounts. This is up to a maximum of $50 per quarter ($200 per year) plus 20% of the fire levy.

The State Government subsidy can be used with Council's pensioner rebates. This means an eligible person could receive a maximum or part rebate from Council, in addition to 20% from the state.

To be eligible for this subsidy, you must hold a current Centrelink Queensland Pensioner Concession Card (PCC).

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Note

If you hold a PCC only, you are only entitled to the State Government subsidy.

The State Government subsidy does not apply to tenants of retirement villages or caravan parks that are part of Council’s pension rebate scheme.

To apply for the Queensland Government subsidy, you can:

If you are a life tenant, resident of a retirement village or beneficiary of a special disability trust, you can only apply at a customer centre or ward office.

Additional information

If the property is under joint names, all applicants who receive a pension must provide the relevant information.

For example, two owners on a pension must both produce pension cards and proof of payment. 

Where one owner receives a pension and another is listed as their partner on their Pensioner Card, they may be entitled to an additional rebate.

If a joint owner dies, the remaining owner must reapply for the discount and provide a death certificate. 

Life tenants need to provide:

  • a certified copy of the will, stating the applicant is a life tenant and responsible for paying the rates, or a court order (e.g. Supreme or Family court and death certificate)
  • a Queensland Pensioner Concession Card or Queensland Veteran Card for All Conditions (Gold Card)
  • a copy of the rates notice (if possible)
  • proof of pension received (concession eligibility letter from Centrelink and/or Department of Veterans' Affairs with the relevant pension card).

If life tenancy is for more than one person, all applicants must supply the required information. For example, if two owners are both on a pension, each owner must produce a pension card and proof of pension payment.

If a person doesn’t receive a pension/allowance, then a copy of their Queensland Pensioner Concession Card is all that’s required.

Beneficiaries of a special disability trust need to provide:

  • a copy of the trust deeds showing the beneficiary of the trust
  • a Queensland Pensioner Concession Card or Queensland Veteran Card for All Conditions (Gold Card)
  • copy of rates notice (if possible)
  • proof of pension received (concession eligibility letter from Centrelink and/or Department of Veterans’ Affairs).

You can apply for a maximum or partial rebate if you’re a tenant of a:

  • retirement facility
  • relocatable home park.

These facilities must have agreed to pass on rebates to eligible tenants.

You’ll need to provide:

  • a Queensland Pensioner Concession Card or Queensland Veteran Card for All Conditions (Gold)
  • proof of pension received (concession eligibility letter from Centrelink Queensland or Department of Veterans' Affairs).
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Important things to know 

  • When applying, make sure you record your unit or site number in the village or caravan park.
  • Tenants of retirement facilities or relocatable home parks aren’t entitled to the Queensland Government subsidy.

If a pensioner's rate account goes into arrears by $30 or more, Council will remove its rebate. When the outstanding amount is paid in full, the reduction will be automatically reinstated from the following quarter. 

If the outstanding amount can't be paid, the rebate can be reinstated if a payment plan is agreed to. 

The State Government component of the reduction will continue even if the rate account is in arrears.

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Important to know

This only applies to customers who hold a Queensland Pensioner Concession Card and/or Queensland Veteran Card for All Conditions (Gold Card) and receive a payment from their pension provider.  

Read more information about Council’s pensioner rebate policy.

Need help with understanding or applying for a pensioner's rebate?

If you need help with understanding the criteria or the application process, contact Council.

Not-for-profit rebates

Council offers a 50% rebate on general rates for certain not-for-profit organisations. They must provide or support the residents of Brisbane through:

  • essential welfare 
  • community services.

Council offers a partial rebate of 20% on general rates for not-for-profit organisations that provide affordable housing in the Brisbane local government area.

We also offer a 100% rebate on most rates and charges to eligible not-for-profit kindergartens.

Related information

Bushland Preservation Rebate

You’re eligible for the Bushland Preservation Rebate if your land is covered by the:

  • Voluntary Conservation Agreement
  • Land for Wildlife Agreement.

This rebate is automatically applied to eligible rate accounts.

Land covered by these agreements is exempt from Council’s Bushland Preservation Levy.

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Important things to know

Before your land can be covered by an agreement, you’ll need:

  • a formal consultation process
  • an independent assessment.

For more information, phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

Rates relief

Relief for financial hardship

If you’re experiencing financial hardship, you may be eligible for assistance from the Independent Rates Relief Tribunal. The tribunal has been set up to help people who are having difficulty meeting basic living expenses due to:

  • illness
  • long-term unemployment
  • death of a partner
  • other unforeseen circumstances.

You’re not eligible for this rates relief if you’re a property owner who:

  • doesn’t reside at the property you’re applying for rates relief for
  • has the property you’re applying for rates relief for listed for sale
  • receives a pensioner rebate
  • owns more than one property
  • is applying for this hardship for a property that:
    • is a commercial or industrial property
    • has multiple dwellings
    • is vacant land.

All owners of the property will need to provide supporting documentation. This includes:

  • proof of income, such as:
    • payslips
    • last 3 months’ financial institution statements
    • dividends
    • Centrelink payments
    • superannuation
  • mortgage statements
  • last 2 Notices of Assessment
  • other supporting documents, such as:
    • medical information
    • financial statements.

Before you begin your hardship application, you can discuss your circumstances with us by calling Council on 07 3403 8888.

To apply for assistance, you can:

  • complete the Application for Assistance form
  • submit the completed form by:
    • email
    • mail to:
      IRRT
      GPO Box 1434
      Brisbane Qld 4001.

Once you submit your application, we’ll contact you within 7 working days.

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Note

Lodging an application doesn’t automatically exempt you from paying rates. We’ll work with you to reach a suitable outcome.

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Did you know?

You can pay your rates by instalments. This spreads your repayments over time and can help to reduce debt.

Learn more about paying your rates by instalments.

Frequently asked questions

Pay your rates account by the due date to receive up to $60 off your bill each year (if eligible). Learn more about the early payment discount.

Alternatively, you can check if you’re eligible for any other rebates, relief or exemptions.

You are eligible to receive the Queensland Government Subsidy and a Council rates rebate if you meet the relevant criteria for both payments.

If your rates account is in arrears by $30 or more, Council will remove any pensioner rebates. When the amount owing is paid, any rebates will be reinstated from the following quarter.

Your rebate will also be reinstated if you agree to a payment plan within a reasonable amount of time. If repayments aren’t consistently made, any pensioner rebates will be removed for the next rate account period. This only applies to customers who:

  • hold a Pensioner Concession Card and/or Veteran Card for All Conditions (Gold Card) 
  • receive a payment from their pension provider.

If you receive the Queensland Government subsidy, this subsidy will continue even if your account is in arrears.

For more information about pensioner rebates:

If struggling with rates payments, contact us to talk about your options. Contact Council