A SECOND round of warning letters to homeowners who have failed to pay the household charge will be issued in the coming weeks, the Department of the Environment has said.
An additional 14,000 households have registered to pay the charge since the first warning letters were issued three weeks ago.
As of Friday, 992,924 properties had been registered for the charge. Some 967,937 had paid the charge, while 18,687 had registered for a waiver. The remaining 6,300 applications were awaiting resolution of queries.
So far €97.5 million has been collected in charges and late fees. The tax is €100 but those paying since July 1st owe €114 including penalties and interest.
Between July 2nd and 16th, 103,000 reminder letters were sent to households believed to have an outstanding household charge liability. These letters were sent by city and county councils.
Almost all householders who received letters will have been second-home owners already liable to pay the non-principal private residence or second home tax. These homeowners were identified using the NPPR data base and the register of private rented accommodation held by the Private Residential Tenancies Board.
However, the new round of letters will be sent to non-payers who have been identified using sources such as the Revenue Commissioners, ESB Networks and the Department of Social Protection.
This wave is more likely to reach homeowners in financially difficult circumstances, Dublin city councillor Cieran Perry, who opposes the charge, said.
“The next round of letters will be much more targeted towards ordinary people who don’t have the ability to pay and we’re likely to see a lot more resistance and a lot more vocal resistance to the charge as a result of these letters.”
Letters will initially be sent to about 100,000 households but will continue to be issued until all those who have failed to pay have received a letter informing them of their liability for the charge, a spokesman for the Department of the Environment said.
The new letters will take the same form as those sent earlier this month. The letter tells the recipient that it has come to the attention of the local authority they may be liable for the charge. It details the amount of the charge plus penalties now owed and how to pay or apply for a waiver.
Those who do not pay would be sent a second letter and this reminder would be “more strongly worded”, the spokesman for the department said.
A third letter would advise non-payers of court proceedings.
The Government is considering handing over responsibility for collecting the property tax, which would replace the household charge, to the Revenue Commissioners.
A spokeswoman for Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan said she was not in a position to confirm whether the issue would be on the Cabinet agenda tomorrow.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil the Government had yet to make a decision on the format for collecting the forthcoming property tax and refused to be drawn on speculation it could be directly deducted from PAYE salaries.
