Revenue Commissioners
According to yesterdays Irish Independent newspaper, the Revenue Commissioners will soon have the power to enter and inspect your home, to assess its value for the property tax, under proposed new legislation.
Property tax dodgers also face fines of €3,000 (Section 146/147) for deliberately failing to fill in forms or who undervalue their homes, under tough new planned legislation.
This legislation supporting this new property tax, known as the ‘Local Property Tax Bill 2012,’ was published yesterday, and gives authority to the Revenue Commissioners to “enter on land and inspect the relevant residential property.” (Part 13/Section 140). This section obliges the person occupying the property to allow the authorised official inspect the property at all reasonable times.
Such powers if passed into law would appear to grant greater power to Revenue than is currently granted to An Garda Síochána. In most cases, a search warrant is necessary before a Garda may search a person, a vehicle or premises. However, certain legislation does entitle the Gardai to go onto premises without a warrant, for example, the Intoxicating Liquor Acts, the Public Dance Halls Act, and the Health Acts.
When told by Revenue to provide information as to whom officially owns a particular house, anyone who fails to comply or provides false information will be liable to a daily fine of €100.
Pay up. It’s for a good cause.
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