Owners of second homes slow to pay €200 tax

ALMOST six out of 10 owners of second homes have failed to pay a new €200 annual charge on their property ahead of yesterday’s deadline for payment of the controversial new tax.

The owners of an estimated 200,000 rental properties, holiday homes and other non-principal private residences are liable for the tax, first announced in last October’s budget.

However, just over 83,100 had paid the €200 tax before the September 30 deadline. Only €16.6m of the estimated €40m which the Government expects to collect from the tax has been paid to date, according to official figures.