Rating valuations
What is a rates revaluation?
Every three years, Taupō District Council updates the value of every property in the district. This is called a rates revaluation, and it helps ensure rates are shared fairly between property owners.
What does my property valuation represent?
Your valuation is an estimate of what your property would have sold for on the valuation date, in this case 1 September 2025. It includes:
- Land value - the value of the land alone
- Improvements value - the added value of buildings and other improvements
Valuations are a snapshot in time and may differ from what your property would sell for today.
How are rating valuations used to calculate rates?
Council has one rating area for the whole district and we use the capital value rating system to help us work out everyone's fair share of rates.
At a very basic level, there are three steps:
- Council works out how much income is needed from rates in order to run the district. This is done through the Long-term Plan or Annual Plan process.
- Some rates are for specific things such as water supply and kerbside rubbish collections. These are called targeted rates and are charged only to the properties that use these services. Targeted rates are not calculated using the capital value method.
- Money collected from the general rate is used to fund things that benefit the general good of the district like roads, park maintenance and community facilities. This is where capital value comes in – the total general rate amount is spread across the district in amounts proportional to each property's capital value compared to the total value of the district.
Each property is placed in a rating category, based on land use. A charge is set for each rating category to calculate the general rate: the charge is a number of cents per dollar of capital value. Different categories of property pay different amounts of rates.
For full details of how rates are calculated see the Funding Impact Statement in our 2025-26 Annual Plan.
How do revaluations change my rates?
Why have many property values gone down?
In recent years, property markets across New Zealand have changed. In many areas, including districts similar to Taupō District, average residential property values have decreased compared with earlier peaks. The revaluation refects these wider market trends.
What are the average changes in capital value by property type?
The table below shows the average changes in capital value for different property categories in the Taupō District, comparing the new valuations (effective as at 1 September 2025) against the previous valuations dated 1 July 2022.
Category | Average Capital Value Change (%) |
|---|---|
Commercial | 8.72 |
Dairy | -3.18 |
Forestry | -4.65 |
Horticulture | -2.75 |
Industrial | 26.81 |
Lifestyle | -10.10 |
Mining | -4.59 |
Pastoral | -6.98 |
Residential | -9.21 |
Utility | 7.04 |
TOTAL CHANGE | -7.12 |
What if my property value goes down – what does that mean for my rates bill?
Rates are calculated based on the total funding needed to provide services across the district - not just on individual property values.
Revaluation does not change the total amount of rates council collects. Instead, it affects how that total is shared between properties.
If your property value has decreased more than others, your rates may go down. But if others have dropped more, your share might increase. It’s the relative change in value compared to other properties that determines your rates bill.
In other words, if your value has fallen more than the average, your share of rates may decrease, or rise less than average.
If your value has fallen less than the average, or increased, your share of rates may increase.
What if my property value goes up – what does that mean for my rates bill?
An increase in your property’s value doesn’t automatically mean your rates will rise. Rates are calculated based on the total funding needed to provide services across the district - not just on individual property values.
Revaluation does not change the total amount of rates council collects. Instead, it affects how that total is shared between properties.
If your property value has increased more than others, your share of the rates may go up. If most properties have increased similarly, your rates might stay the same or change only slightly. It’s the relative change in value compared to other properties that affects your rates bill.
Rating valuations on Māori freehold land
The status of Māori freehold land is determined by the Māori Land Court as defined in the Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 (TTWMA) or known as Maori Land Act.
Recent best practice guidance from the Valuer General recommends a uniform lump sum adjustment of $7,000 for Māori freehold land rating units to reflect administration costs associated with Māori Land Court rules.
Councils are required to display the adjustment for Māori freehold land valuations on the notice of valuation. This discounts the value of Māori land up to 10% depending on the number of owners or preferred class of alienees. Land that's considered to have special significance may also be discounted up to 5 per cent. Māori freehold land would have a minimum value of $100 after the discounts and adjustments are applied. The valuer will consider each valuation individually.
The notice of valuation is sent to the first owner/ratepayer held in the rating information database during the revaluation process.
Find out more on the Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) website
Where can I get help or more information?
If you have questions about your valuation or need support with rates, including payment options or rebates, our team is happy to help. Contact us on 07 376 0899 or 0800 ASK TDC or email info@taupo.govt.nz.
