1.2m have paid the household charge

Almost 1.2m homeowners have paid the household charge for 2012, but those who have not face a €100 penalty on top of the charge itself if they do not make the payment by Jul 1.

Revenue confirmed yesterday that from the end of June, it will begin deducting estimates of the new property tax from people’s payroll or social welfare payments if they have not paid that charge by then.

The Government said the 1,198,091 people who have registered their property for the household charge equates to a compliance rate of 74% nationally. The household charge applies to 2012 only and, from Jul 1, will be replaced by the local property tax, which is to be collected by the Revenue Commissioners. The local government system will not be processing household charge payments from then.

“We thank all those residential property owners who have registered for and paid the household charge in respect of 2012,” said Jackie Maguire, chairwoman of the Household Charge Project Board.

“Your charge is going directly to fund local services such as street lighting and cleaning, playgrounds, parks and playing pitches, public libraries, swimming pools, and many other vital local services that benefit all in our communities.”

The board warned residential property owners who have not registered that “they will be required to demonstrate compliance with the household charge legislation when selling a property; non-compliance will complicate the conveyancing process”.

Furthermore, it said that charges, including late payment penalties and interest, apply for payments received up to the end of June.

Those charges are €130 to Apr 30; €144 to May 31; and €145 to Jun 30.

The board warned that, under the legislation providing for the local property tax, any outstanding household charge liabilities as of Jul 1 will become a charge of €200 on top of that tax.

Residential property owners can register for and pay the household charge up to and including Jun 30 through one of the following options:

* householdcharge.ie;

* Posting a registration form to PO Box 12168, Dublin 1;

* At local authority offices.

For further information on the household charge visit householdcharge.ie or call 1890 357357.

At the launch of its annual report yesterday, Revenue confirmed it had received more than 218,000 local property tax returns and that it had reached its target of issuing letters in respect of over 1.6m properties.

However, it admitted that some who should be eligible for the tax had still not received their letters.

Last month it emerged that just 11% of the homes eligible for an exemption from the household charge will be exempt from the property tax.

The Government said that while the household charge waiver list contained some 1,322 developments and about 43,000 households, the property tax waiver will only apply to 421 developments, or about 5,100 households.