Kildare slightly above average on property tax compliance

Kildare households have been slightly above average when it came to paying the Local Property tax this year.

Recent figures from the Revenue Commissioners show that, despite the strains of Covid on income,  this year up to October, 93% of households in the county paid the Local Property Tax (LPT), which is charged on house owners.

Nationally, €344 million has been paid into the Local Government Fund from LPT up to October, a compliance rate of 92%. Of the €344m, €66m was in pre payments and €328m came in the current year.

Overall 1.8 million properties were involved, including 76,000 in county Kildare.

The contribution from Kildare households was €18m, an average of €237.

The county was the only one to vary the standard rate upwards by 7.5%.

Eight counties paid the standard rate.

Ten, including Offaly, raised it by 15%.

Five, including Wicklow and Laois raised it by 10%

Three, including Carlow, paid 5% above the rate.

Finglas sought 10% below the rate while Dublin city, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown (DLR) and South Dublin local authorities areas paid 15% below the rate.

But while the average LPT in the State was €215, and was €202 and €300, in Meath and Wicklow respectively, the DLR payment average was €453.

Fingal which set its tax at 10% below the standard rate, took in an average of €265 per house.

Kildare County Council (KCC) voted to increase its LPT base rate by 7.5% for 2020.  The council had the option to raise or lower the basic rate by various proportions 15% above or below the standard rate.

 In 2015 and 2016 KCC reduced the local property tax by 7.5% but from 2017, it voted not to vary the base rate of LPT. 

For 2020, proposals ranged between a rise of 10% and a drop of 15% and the elected council members voted to increase the standard rate by 7.5%.