How to Claim Both Council Rates Remission and TasWater Concession in Tasmania

If you want both your council rates remission and your TasWater concession applied correctly, check that each credit appears on its bill. The council and TasWater run separate concession processes: existing council recipients generally renew automatically when their details match, while the TasWater concession uses its own application process. Submitting a rates remission form to the council does not trigger a water concession, so apply to TasWater separately if its credit is missing.

Together, the council and TasWater concessions can reach $650.43 for a TasWater customer in 2026/27: up to $401 off council rates plus up to $249.43 off water and sewerage charges, with the 20% Fire Service Rate rebate additional. A non-TasWater customer can receive up to $591 off council rates, plus the fire rebate. The council remission is the one most people know about. The TasWater concession is the one most people miss — and because TasWater applies it pro-rata from the day after your application is received with no backdating, every day of delay is money permanently lost.

Why Two Applications Exist

Tasmania's property concessions use two separate application channels: your local council for rates and TasWater for water and sewerage.

Council rates — the general rates, fire service levy, and stormwater charges on your rates notice — are managed by your local municipal council (one of 29 across Tasmania). The remission is funded by the State Revenue Office under the Local Government (Rates and Charges Remissions) Act 1991, but your council is the body that receives and processes your application.

Water and sewerage charges are managed by TasWater, a regional water corporation that operates independently of every council. TasWater has its own concession scheme, its own eligibility verification, its own forms, and its own rules.

The practical consequence: you can have your council rates remission applied perfectly — 30% of eligible rates and charges, up to the statutory cap, with the Fire Service Rate rebate on top — while your water bill arrives at full price because nobody told TasWater you hold a concession card.

The Dual-Agency Problem in Numbers

Here's what the two concessions are worth in 2026/27 for an eligible Pensioner Concession Card holder:

The TasWater line is where the money leaks. If you lodge your council form in August but don't contact TasWater until January, you've lost five months of water and sewerage concession — roughly $104 — with no way to recover it.

The Right Sequence

The most effective approach is to submit both applications on the same day or within the same week.

Step 1: Confirm eligibility. You need a valid Pensioner Concession Card, DVA Pensioner Concession Card, DVA Gold Card (endorsed TPI or War Widow/Widower), or Health Care Card — issued on or before 1 July 2026 for the 2026/27 year. Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders are excluded by statute. The property must be your principal place of residence, and at least one registered owner must hold the card and be liable for rates.

Step 2: Lodge with your council if needed. If this is your first application or the remission is not on your rates notice, contact your local council to confirm how to submit its official form. Councils like Hobart offer online submission. You'll need your concession card, property address, and rates notice reference. This covers the general rates remission and the Fire Service Rate rebate.

Step 3: Lodge with TasWater if needed. If the concession is not on your TasWater bill, call TasWater on 13 69 92 or submit its concession form as soon as possible. You'll need the same concession card details and your TasWater account number. The concession starts the day after TasWater receives your application — not retroactively, not from 1 July. Every day counts.

Step 4: Check the prior year. If you were eligible for the 2025/26 year but didn't claim, you can lodge a retrospective rates remission application with your council (caps of $385 for TasWater customers or $566 for non-TasWater customers). The deadline for this retrospective claim is 31 March 2027 — the same deadline as the current-year application. TasWater concessions cannot be backdated under any circumstances.

Step 5: Verify on your next bills. When your next rates notice and TasWater bill arrive, check that both concessions appear as credited lines. The council notice should show a "Government Rebate" credit line. The TasWater bill should show a concession credit. If either is missing, follow up with that agency directly.

What Goes Wrong When People Only Do One

The research on Tasmanian pensioner concessions consistently surfaces the same patterns.

The TasWater gap is the most expensive. Because TasWater doesn't backdate, a pensioner who lodges their council form in July but doesn't contact TasWater until the following year loses up to $249.43 — permanently. Multiply that by the thousands of eligible Tasmanian households who assume the council form covers water, and the aggregate loss is substantial.

The backdating blind spot is the most common regret. Many pensioners who missed the prior year only discover the retrospective option when the deadline has already passed. The councils don't always highlight this on the current-year form.

The card-date confusion causes the most frustration. A Health Care Card issued on 2 July 2026 doesn't qualify for 2026/27 — the card must be valid on or before 1 July. Applicants who receive a new card in July or August submit applications that get rejected, sometimes without a clear explanation of why.

The Role of a Dual-Agency Guide

The Pensioner Rates Remission in Tasmania guide is built specifically around this dual-agency coordination. It walks through both applications together, includes a printable dual-agency claim checklist (Section A for council rates, Section B for TasWater), and covers the edge cases — joint ownership, retirement villages, card-date cutoffs, hardship postponement vs non-repayable remission — that neither agency's website explains in the context of the other.

The guide also includes worked dollar examples showing how the 30% discount, statutory caps, and Fire Service Rate rebate interact on specific property valuations, which helps you verify that the amounts on your bills are correct after both concessions are applied.

Official application forms are free from your local council and TasWater. The guide doesn't replace those sources — it organises the dual-agency process so both applications happen together and nothing falls through the gap.

Who This Is For

• Pensioner Concession Card, DVA Gold Card, or Health Care Card holders with both council rates and a TasWater account
• Anyone who has had their council rates remission applied for years but has never checked whether TasWater is also giving them the concession
• Adult children helping a parent coordinate both agencies from a single set of documents
• People who missed last year and want to claim retrospectively before 31 March 2027 while also securing the current year
• Homeowners moving to a new property in Tasmania who need to set up both concessions from scratch

Who This Is NOT For

• Pensioners who don't have a TasWater account — you only need the council rates remission, and calling your council handles that directly
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders — the card is excluded from the rates remission by statute
• Renters — council rates are the homeowner's liability
• Anyone in financial crisis — contact the National Debt Helpline (1800 007 007) before worrying about concession applications

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my council send my details to TasWater when I apply for rates remission?

No. Your council processes the rates remission under the Local Government (Rates and Charges Remissions) Act 1991. TasWater is a separate regional water corporation with its own concession scheme. You must apply to each organisation independently.

Can I backdate my TasWater concession if I forgot to apply?

No. TasWater applies the concession strictly on a pro-rata basis starting the day after your application is received. There is no backdating under any circumstances. This is different from the council rates remission, which allows retrospective claims for one prior financial year.

What is the combined maximum concession for 2026/27?

For a TasWater customer, the combined maximum is $650.43 — up to $401 off council rates plus up to $249.43 off water and sewerage. For a non-TasWater customer, the council rates cap is $591. The exact amount depends on the eligible rates and charges on your notice — the remission is the lesser of 30% of the eligible amount or the cap. The 20% Fire Service Rate rebate is additional.

What if I applied to my council but I'm not sure about TasWater?

Check your TasWater bill for a concession credit line. If it's not there, call TasWater on 13 69 92 and lodge a concession application immediately. Every day from now until you apply is a day of concession lost, because TasWater starts the pro-rata calculation from the day after they receive your form.

Do I need to reapply every year?

For council rates, existing recipients generally renew automatically when their circumstances remain unchanged and the card and property details match. If the remission disappears from your notice or your details change, contact your council and provide updated evidence. For TasWater, check your bill for the concession credit and contact TasWater if it is missing or your card or property details change. Notify both agencies within 30 days of a change that affects your eligibility.

See more Tasmania guides →