AQW 6059/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Finance
To ask the Minister of Finance whether she will commission an independent review of the rating system in Northern Ireland.
Asked by Eóin Tennyson MLA on 9 February 2024
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 9 February 2024
- Answer due by
- 26 February 2024
- Answered
- 20 February 202411 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Finance
- Priority question
- No
Answer
The rating system has been the subject of extensive reviews in recent years, including the 2019 Review of Business Rates, and the recent consultation exercise which closed on 13 February, all while delivering on 3 revaluation exercises in 8 years, and being reconfigured to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.
My preference in the first instance would be to work with the new Fiscal Council to see what can be done to adjust a system of tax that has largely proven robust and resilient in revenue terms in the face of many obstacles over recent years.