VPRS 17126 Valuation and Rate Book

Every year each local council is required to make and levy rates in respect of all rateable properties within its municipal district. The Municipal Institutions Act 1854 (No.26) empowered local councils to make by-laws for the regulation of their own proceedings including the collection of rates. The amount of rate is therefore determined by the council although a statutory limit applies. Rates are the main source of revenue for the council.The rate record is a record of the levying and payment of rates on rateable properties. Apart from the general rate which is levied equally on all properties, a council may levy an extra rate or a special rate. An extra rate may be levied, over and above the general rate, on a subdivision of a municipality to cover expenses occurred in that subdivision. A special rate may be levied when a council undertakes works for the special benefit of a particular portion of the municipality. Separate rate records are maintained for general, extra and special rates and these are therefore registered as separate series.For each rateable property a record is created which identifies the property and person rated and includes details of the annual value of the property, the amounts due, amounts paid, arrears and when rates were abandoned. A complete rate record may comprise two parts: a Register of Rateable Properties and a Rates Register. The Register of Rateable Properties identifies the properties and persons rated and the Rates Register comprises the accounting details. Where these two parts exist they are registered separately.The format of rate records has changed over the years. Initially the levying and payment of rates were recorded in volumes (known as Rate Books) until the introduction of cards (known as Rate Cards) from the 1930s. In the 1980's and 1990's automated systems have mostly been used. Printouts of the automated system are usually produced as the rate record. Series of rate records in different formats are registered separately.This series was created under the provisions of part XI of the Local Government Act 1958. There is no date range recorded in the book.The commencement date of this series is taken from the citation of the Local Government Act 1958 recorded in the book. The end date is not known.

每年，各地方议会均须就其管辖区内的所有应课税物业（rateable properties）计征并征收差饷（rates）。《1854年市政机构法》（Municipal Institutions Act 1854）（第26号）授权地方议会制定附例，规范自身运作流程，其中包括差饷征收事宜。因此，差饷税额由议会确定，但须受法定上限约束。差饷是议会的主要收入来源。差饷记录是对应课税物业的差饷征收与缴纳情况的档案记载。除面向所有物业统一征收的一般差饷外，议会还可征收附加差饷或专项差饷。附加差饷可在一般差饷之外，针对市政辖区内的特定分区征收，用以覆盖该分区产生的相关开支。当议会为市政辖区内特定区域的专属利益开展工程时，可征收专项差饷。一般差饷、附加差饷与专项差饷均分别维护独立的差饷记录，因此各自作为独立序列完成登记。针对每一处应课税物业，均会创建一份记录，用以标识该物业及被评税主体，并包含物业年度评值、应缴金额、已缴金额、欠缴款项以及差饷豁免征收情况等详细信息。一份完整的差饷记录可分为两部分：应课税物业登记册（Register of Rateable Properties）与差饷登记册（Rates Register）。前者用于标识应课税物业及被评税主体，后者则包含全部会计核算细节。若同时存在这两部分记录，则需分别进行登记。差饷记录的格式多年来历经变迁。早期，差饷的征收与缴纳情况均记录于账簿之中，时称“差饷簿（Rate Books）”；直至20世纪30年代，开始引入卡片式记录，时称“差饷卡（Rate Cards）”。20世纪80年代至90年代，自动化系统得到广泛应用，自动化系统的打印输出通常即作为差饷记录。不同格式的差饷记录序列需分别登记。本记录序列系根据《1958年地方政府法》（Local Government Act 1958）第十一编的规定设立。档案册中未记录时间范围。本序列的起始日期取自档案册中所载《1958年地方政府法》的引用标注信息，终止日期则暂未明确。