The Rates (Coronavirus) (Emergency Relief) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations provide for emergency rate relief in respect of specified hereditaments. The relief is being provided in order to provide support to businesses as a result of the threat to public health from the virus known as Coronavirus or “Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2”, which causes the disease known as “COVID-19”.

Regulation 3 removes rates liability that arises for specified hereditaments between 1st May 2022 and 30th June 2022 in line with the Executive’s 2022 Budget agreement.

Regulation 4 allows for the removal of liability under regulation 3 to apply to the NAV element of a mixed hereditament that appears on the non-domestic valuation list.

Regulation 5 provides that where rates are payable by the owner rather than the occupier of a business hereditament, the reduction of rates is conditional on the owner applying the amount of the reduction for the benefit of the occupier.

Regulation 6 makes provision to ensure that any reduction to rates liability provided under these Regulations is applied after any reduction in liability provided under the Rates (Small Business Hereditament Relief) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 (S.R. 2010 No. 4) as amended.

Regulation 7 permits a person, in respect of whom a reduction under regulation 3 is applied, to make application to the Department to have that reduction disregarded.

Schedule 1 to the Regulations provides for what will constitute an excepted hereditament for the purposes of the Regulations.

Schedule 2 to the Regulations outlines what will constitute the classes designated for the purposes of a specified hereditament.