There are several important conditions that affect the amount of property tax (NNT) and the receipt of benefits, stated the Finance Department of the Riga Municipality.
The reduced property tax rate (0.2–0.6% instead of the standard 1.5%) provides significant savings. For example, the tax for a typical apartment in Riga with a cadastral value of 50,000 euros at the full rate will amount to 750 euros per year. Under the reduced rate, it will be 150-450 euros.
The difference can be up to 600 euros, so it makes sense to navigate the Riga City Council's offices. So, what does the city require from its residents?
Firstly, Riga residents who wish to receive property tax benefits must have an activated official e-address or a registered e-mail as a communication channel with the municipality.
Exempt from the requirement to have an email are: pensioners, persons with disabilities of groups I or II, victims and liquidators of the Chernobyl disaster, low-income and needy households, politically repressed individuals, and minors.
Important! If you have not registered an electronic communication channel by January 1, 2025, but you are entitled to automatic benefits (for example, for families with children), you can still receive them for the entire year of 2025 if you register the e-communication channel by December 15, 2025, or submit a justified application explaining why you cannot do so.
The Clock Strikes on the Dome Tower
To receive benefits in 2026, the electronic communication channel must be registered by January 1, 2026 (00:00). It will not be possible to do this later.
If you already have an activated official e-address, you are already receiving notifications about property tax at your e-mail, or if this requirement does not apply to you — no action is needed.
How to Register an Electronic Communication Channel?
• Activate your official e-address on the portal Latvija.gov.lv,
• Submit an application on the municipality's website,
• Send a signed application to the e-mail of the Riga City Council,
• Submit the application in person or by mail (address: Terēzes Street 5, Riga, LV-1012).
By the way, if you or a family member falls into one of the benefit categories (for example, pensioner, person with disabilities of groups I or II, child with disabilities, etc.) and have not received benefits before, the application can be submitted until December 15, 2025. The application is submitted once — it does not need to be resubmitted if the conditions for receiving the benefit have not changed.
A Declaration is Also Needed
To apply the reduced rate to your apartment or individual house in 2026, at least one person must be registered at this property as of January 1, 2026 (00:00).
In apartment buildings and non-residential buildings with living functions, the reduced rate applies to 30 square meters for each registered person.
If no one is registered at the property by January 1, the main rate of 1.5% will apply for the entire year instead of the reduced rate of 0.2–0.6%.
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