Rates deferral for hard up businesses

Businesses affected by the coronavirus crisis can defer the payment of their commercial rates for three months, Offaly County Council has said this week.

In a statement issued to the Offaly Independent today, the council said that it is “acutely aware of the potential issues faced by their ratepayers”.

“The Government has stated that local authorities should agree to defer rates payments due from the most immediately impacted businesses - primarily in the retail, hospitality, leisure and childcare sectors, for three months, until end-May.
“As a result any commercial ratepayers that have had to temporarily close or significantly curtail operations during the COVID-19 response period should contact their Offaly County Council Revenue Collector immediately on receipt of your rates bill, in relation to any rates payments falling due in the period to end-May and agree a payment schedule to the end of 2020. Full contact details for Revenue Collectors for your area are available on www.offaly.ie or contact our rates office at rates@offalycoco.ie or by telephoning (057) 93 57408

“Offaly County Council is currently working as part of the State’s co-ordinated response to dealing with the Public Health threat posed by COVID-19, while also helping to ensure that the impacts on communities, businesses and other stakeholders are minimised. The local authority continues to deliver critical services, including Emergency Response, Housing, Roads and Water services, and are working with the HSE at national, regional and local level on the co-ordinated response to COVID-19. Regular services across the range of service divisions continue to be delivered.

“Ratepayers that can continue to pay their outstanding local authority rates should continue to do so in the normal way. 
“In the event of any National Rates relief scheme being agreed for small business due to COVID 19, Offaly County Council will apply the appropriate relief under the scheme to your account immediately.”