Shatter: Nobody obliged to pay 2014 property tax this year

Fine Gael's Alan Shatter is insisting that nobody is being forced to pay next year's property tax in 2013.

The Justice Minister said people have the option of paying the tax this year or next year.

His comments come after the Chairman of the Oireachtas Finance Committee Ciarán Lynch said he was writing to the Revenue Commissioners to ask them to explain the situation.

Minister Shatter said there are options available, but that the Revenue may "refine" them.

He said: "It's very clear noone is obliged to pay this tax before 2014. There is different methodolgies for paying it in the notice the Revenue issued.

"If they (Revenue) want to refine the approach I have no difficulty with that, but quite clearly noone is obliged to pay it before 2014.

"There are a whole range of different ways of ensuring you don't pay it before 2014."