Joburg pensioners who have not yet applied for pensioner’s rebates on their monthly rates and taxes account, need to do so before end September.
MMC for Finance, Funzela Ngobeni, explained that if pensioners applied before end September, their account would still be backdated to 1 July when the new rebates came into effect. The grace period was given, he said, because the budget was approved later than usual and rebates kicked in shortly thereafter.
“We could not capture any applications up until council had approved the budget,” he said.
All previous pensioner rebates came to an end on 30 June, coinciding with the end of the previous property valuation roll. Along with it came a few changes such as the property value threshold increasing from R2 million to R2,5 million.
Pensioners must also be 60 years or older, own the property and personally occupy the property. The rebate is also only applicable for one property should the applicant own more than one property.
Remember:
- Pensioners must have a gross income of less than R9 244 a month and if the new property value is R2,5 million or less then they qualify for a 100 per cent property rates rebate
- If a pensioner is between 60 and 69 years old and their gross monthly income is more than R9 244 but less than R15 864 and the value is R2,5 million or less, they qualify for a 50 per cent rebate
- A pensioner of 70 years and older with a property valued at R2,5 million or less qualifies for a 100 per cent rebate.
- Pensioners that receive a national grant qualify for a 100 per cent rebate.
- For pensioners between 60 and 69 years old, the document that needs to be filled out can be found here
- For pensioners older than 70, the document that needs to be filled out can be found here
Ngobeni said the City understood that some pensioners were not mobile therefore an outreach campaign had been started to enable them to apply. But pensioners can also opt to email their documents to the City.
According to Deidre Hendricks, executive support to the MMC, the City had tried to widen the net as far as possible so that pensioners who have contributed to the City for many years, could get a little back.
Hendricks said pensioner rebates was a hot topic within communities and the City was aware that there were pensioners who fell just outside the qualifying threshold.
“But the City needs to collect revenue. If we don’t, people will not have roads or fresh water,” she said.
Ngobeni added that there might also be some rates relief for the first R350 000 of a property’s value.
“Unfortunately we have to have a cut-off, but there are ideas coming through. We might have some other relief when the next general valuation roll comes along.”
Details: All documents can be dropped off at your nearest customer service centre, emailed to rebates@joburg.org.za or ratescomments@joburg.org.za, or mailed to Rates & Taxes (Rebates), PO Box 5000, Johannesburg, 2000.
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