Homeowners must make up their minds on 2014 property tax payments

Almost one million people have been warned by the Revenue Commissioners to make their mind up as to how they want to settle their property taxes for 2014.

Letters were issued to 960,000 people who had not signed up to regular automatic deductions.

These told homeowners that they must decide in November whether they want to pay off next year’s bill in one go or choose from the options that will allow it to be delayed.

People who are on direct debit schemes or already have the tax taken at source were not contacted. Their arrangements will carry on as normal.

For those who want to pay their bill up-front they have until Nov 7 to do so, if they are sending the cheque or postal order in by post.

There is an option to pay up-front through the Revenue website and the deadline for this online approach is Nov 27.

The option to sign up to staggered payments is available for 2014, even for those who did not take this approach from day one.

This allows people to have the tax taken through direct debit or at source from their wages, their pensions, their agricultural grants, or their welfare payments.

The first direct debits for next year are scheduled to start on Jan 15.

However, if people did not choose this approach in June they will have to tell Revenue about how they plan to pay their tax for 2014.

The revised instructions must reach Revenue by Nov 7, for letters, or Nov 27, for online correspondence.

People who want to pay their tax in a single lump sum but do not want to do so before Christmas have an alternative option.

This is through the Single Debit Authority.

People sign up for this online, fill in their bank details, and agree to allow Revenue deduct the amount on Mar 21, 2014.

No money will have to be paid up-front and the entire year’s bill will come out on Mar 21.

Similarly if people want to stagger their bill but do not want to sign up to a direct debit-style mandate they can choose to make regular payments at designated service providers, An Post, Payzone and Omnivend.

People can pick any of the service providers and do not need to stick with one particular operator. A transaction charge will apply.