The Revenue Commissioners is to write to approximately 755,000 residential property owners seeking next year’s payment of the property tax.
A statement from Revenue said the pay and file season for the tax would be “starting soon” and it was writing to property owners “to give them the opportunity to decide how and when they want to pay”.
It will not be writing to property owners who have opted to pay by direct debit or those who will have the tax deducted from pay/pension or social welfare payment. “These property owners don’t need to contact Revenue – their existing payment method will automatically roll over for 2016,” said the statement.
The rate for 2016 has been varied on almost 1 million properties. Those affected do not need to contact Revenue as it is making the changes automatically.
“The range of payment options available means that property owners can choose when and how to pay the local property tax according to their own preferences and circumstances,” said the statement. “Property owners can also apply to defer the tax even if they didn’t do so in the past.”
People seeking to avail of a phased payment option such as direct debit, deduction at source from a salary or pension, or regular cash payments through a payment service provider, must inform Revenue by November 25th.
Anyone seeking to pay in full on March 21st by single debit authority – or electronic cheque – must contact Revenue by January 7th.
People seeking to pay in full with a single payment by debit/credit card or cheque can do so anytime but must pay by January 7th. Payment methods can be chosen online at www.revenue.ie.
Revenue said there was a 97 per cent compliance rate in respect of the property tax in 2013, 2014, and 2015, but that “a relatively small number of non-compliant cases left Revenue with no alternative but to deploy compliance sanctions”.
It said it had been possible to resolve “many of these cases without having to fully follow through with the various sanctions”.
From 1,230 cases referred to the sheriff, less than 30 required escalation beyond written demand stage.
