DUBLIN: Irish authorities have collected a record revenue of €1 million in local property tax (LPT) payments in a single day after issuing 130,000 compliance letters to homeowners.
The haul related to unpaid LPT in respect of 2013, 2014 and 2015, as well as household charge arrears.
In excess of 30,000 calls were made to the LPT helpline after the compliance letters were sent out. A spokesperson for Revenue said the majority of calls related to property owners who paid their 2014 LPT but “who had not either paid or made arrangements to pay” their 2015 tax.
She said compliance rates for 2015 were currently at 84%, mirroring figures for the same period in previous years. Overall compliance rates for 2013 and 2014 currently stand at 95%.
A total of €123m has already been collected in respect of 2015 LPT.
Since Revenue took over collection of the Household Charge approximately €41m in arrears has been paid and 269,000 properties are now Household Charge compliant.
The Household Charge, introduced on January 1, 2012, was a forerunner to the LPT.
Anyone who owned a residential property in Ireland on the date of its introduction was obliged to declare their liability for the charge and to pay €100.
If the charge payment was still outstanding on 1 July, 2013, it was increased to €200 and added to the LPT payable on the property. Failure to pay this additional €200 meant interest and penalties would apply under the LPT system.
The LPT — an annual selfassessed tax based on the market value of your home — was introduced in 2013 and replaced the Household Charge. The LPT payment deadline for 2015 has now passed. Householders who paid by lump sum or cash payment in 2014 and have not yet made arrangements to pay the 2015 charge should log onto www.revenue.ie to see what they need to do.
Anyone who submitted a request online for their Property ID and PIN before the payment deadline of 4pm on January 9 is deemed by Revenue as having complied with the requirements on time.
Those who paid their 2014 LPT by phased payment method (direct debit or deduction at source from salary/ occupational pension or from certain government payments) or deferred the full charge or who claimed an exemption need not take any action. The current payment method/exemption will automatically apply for 2015.
The Revenue spokesperson said the quickest and easiest way to make arrangements to pay LPT is online at www.revenue.ie using the property ID and PIN. For anyone who chooses the Single Debit Authority option, the payment won’t be deducted until March 21, 2015, unless an earlier date is specified.
