QC property owners get relief from unpaid taxes

Good news to ring in the new year for Quezon City residents: the local government has granted amnesty to taxpayers, freeing them from paying fines and other penalties for delinquent real property taxes for 2018 and previous years.

Mayor Herbert Bautista signed Ordinance No. SP-2779 to give reprieve to residents with accumulated unpaid taxes and fees. Under the measure, taxpayers would be given amnesty from the payment of interests, fines and surcharges. They may avail of this relief until Oct. 20.

Residents who have fully paid their delinquencies will be allowed to make full payment of their real property tax for the current year.

The city government earlier suspended the increase in property tax until 2020.

Members of the city council said the suspension was needed to “lessen the burden of inflation” for residents and taxpayers in Metro Manila’s largest city.

With the suspension, the collection of real property taxes would still be based on the 1996 schedule of fair market values, despite the Local Government Code provision calling for the adjustment of values every three years. —JHESSET O. ENANO