Mar 2014
12
Google Maps – Local Property Tax (LPT)
The Revenue Commissioners has announced a system for checking to see if people have deliberately undervalued their homes to reduce their Local Property Tax (LPT) below what they should be paying. Officials will use a system that is based on Google Street View and Google Maps to highlight properties where home owners have reduced the value significantly below their neighbours. "If we find properties like this we will look at it and see if we should challenge it," said Revenue's economist Keith Walsh.
Only officials working with Revenue will have access to the maps and the public will have no access. The maps will show the average value of homes sold on any street and the values other homes owners have attributed to their own properties. It will also show the identity of the homeowners, their PPS number and whether they have paid the LPT and household charge. "If people think they have undervalued they will have an opportunity to correct the value online," Mr. Walsh said. If property owners correct the value before 31st March 2014, they can avoid interest and penalties.
Revenue expects to write to people who have deliberately undervalued their home next month.
