The Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe TD, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, have today announced the publication of Draft Residential Zoned Land Tax Maps by local authorities as part of the implementation of the Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT).
The RZLT measure is an important component of the pathway to increasing new housing supply, contained in the Government’s Housing for All plan to 2030.
The aim of the tax, which will apply from 2024 to relevant land at a rate of 3% of market value, is to activate land for residential development throughout the country, rather than to raise revenue.
Speaking following the Draft Residential Zoned Land Tax Maps’ publication, Minister Donohoe said:
“I welcome the publication of the Draft Residential Zoned Land Tax Maps. This is an important step in the RZLT implementation process whereby land within scope of the tax has been identified by local authorities. Landowners whose land is included on a draft map should now review the map and consider if their land meets the criteria for inclusion and make submissions to their local authority accordingly. Residential properties, while they might be on the map, are not liable for the tax if they are subject to LPT.
“In the course of 2023, supplemental and final maps will be prepared by local authorities identifying the land within scope; the final map will be revised annually from 2025 onwards.
"Ireland requires increased housing supply to meet our housing needs. The RZLT aims to incentivise landowners to activate existing zoned and serviced residential development land for housing on identified lands and lead to the building of more homes.”
Commenting on the publication of the Draft Residential Zoned Land Tax maps, Minister O’Brien said:
“It’s estimated that only one-sixth of residentially zoned land is activated for housing during a local authority’s six-year Development Plan period. We need to see more suitable land which is serviced and available for housing unlocked for the delivery of homes. Landowners now have an opportunity to make submissions to their local authority if they consider that their land does not fall into the scope of the tax, or if wish to seek the re-zoning of their land. The publication of Draft Maps indicating the land that will be subject to the tax in 2024 is an important step in the process of introducing this measure, a key action in Housing for All. ”
Homeowners will not have to pay the Residential Zoned Land Tax if they own a dwelling which appears on the local authorities’ Residential Zoned Land Tax Maps, where the property is subject to the Local Property Tax (LPT). If a homeowner owns such a dwelling, where the land/gardens/yards attached to it are greater than 0.4047 hectares (1 acre), they will have to register for the Residential Zoned Land Tax with the Revenue Commissioners, but they will not be liable to pay the tax. It will be possible to register from late 2023 onwards.
ENDS