Rates

What are Rates?

Rates are property based taxes which raise the finance needed to provide public services for you. 

Who sets the rates?

District rates are set and collected by Onchan District Commissioners.

What is the process for determining the District Rate?

Setting the rates is a complicated and detailed process. The Finance Department  in conjunction with each other Department in Onchan District Commissioners  prepares a very detailed budget of what they need to fund local services for the coming year. This is reviewed by the Executive Management who guide Board Members on the priorities. Once this  budget has  been reviewed and trimmed to the satisfaction of the Commissioners, the resulting budget is then recommended to the full Board who make the final decision on the rate for the forthcoming year. This decision is made on the basis of balancing good services to residents against their additional costs to the ratepayers.

What Services are Provided through the Rates? 

• Refuse Collection and Disposal
• Eastern Civic Amenity Site 
• Parks, playgrounds and other leisure facilities
• Environmental health
• Building Control (only Onchan and Douglas undertake this function for their own areas)
• Public conveniences
• Promotion of Tourism
• Library Services
• The Hub (Onchan Youth and Community Centre)
• Public information and advice 
• Street-lighting
• Control of dogs
• Housing
• Car parking
• Street cleaning including gully emptying 
• Removal of weeds
• Maintenance of highway verges
• Hedge trimming 
• Trees and high hedges enforcement
• Abandoned vehicles
• Preservation of War Memorials

The  Commissioners remain committed to taking a realistic and prudent approach to their finances in these difficult times and are ensuring that the Authority continues to provide value for money services for the ratepayer and community.

Purchasing/Change of Ownership of a Property.

Under section 69a of the Rating and Valuation Act 1953, the new occupier is obliged to inform us of their occupation of a property within 28 days of the day on which he or she begins to be the occupier of the property. The new occupier must notify the Rates Officer in writing to the Commissioners' Offices.  The new occupier must notify us of:-

1. His or her name and address; and 
2. The description of the property in question.