Government extends deadline: Pay property tax on or before November 29

THE Finance Ministry, in a press release on September 23, has announced an extension of the time period for paying the property tax.

The original deadline date of September 30 was extended to November 29, pursuant to Legal Notice 175 of 2024, which was published on September 22.

The ministry said consequently, owners and occupiers of residential land in receipt of a notice of assessment from the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) have until November 29 to pay the tax without incurring any penalties.

The release said Finance Minister Colm Imbert was cognisant that there are still lingering issues concerning receipt of notices of assessment from the BIR by some owners and occupiers of residential land .

Hence the release said, pursuant to Legal Notice 175 of 2024, the time period for the BIR to issue the notices has also been extended, to October 31.

The release said the ministry continues to actively pursue other forms of payment for this tax and will provide another update in due course. It also reminded that under the Property Tax (Amendment) Act, 2024, the rate of the tax was decreased from three per cent to two per cent.

The release was issued on Monday after working hours. Earlier in the day, while homeowners were still awaiting word on the new deadline, checks at the Ministry of Finance, Inland Revenue Division, Port of Spain revealed no lines for payment.

This was in stark contrast to the previous week, when homeowners would have spent upwards of two hours in “long, daunting” lines to pay their property tax.

One homeowner told Newsday on Monday the payment process was quick and easy. She said it was a case of “in and out” in less than ten minutes.

On September 20, Imbert announced in the House of Representatives that deadline for the payment of the tax would be extended,  after the Government acknowledged people's enthusiasm to pay the tax, yet there being many challenges in doing so.

Responding to questions in the Senate on September 17, Imbert said solutions were being worked on.

In a post on X, Imbert questioned what he described as confusion in the Opposition UNC over the issue of online payments.

"The irony is that while the Leader of the Opposition has declared that she is resolutely opposed to any transition to cashless payments in TT, because in her mind this would compromise private banking information, the UNC Opposition Couva South MP is demanding online payment," Imbert wrote on X.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has publicly said she is against a cashless society because it could give Government the power to obtain people's private financial information.

She first made this comment in August at a UNC public meeting in Chaguanas, and repeated it at another UNC meeting in Chaguanas on September 16.

At the latter, she said, "A cashless society means the control and coercion of citizens. It will destroy your freedoms, privacy, rights, and privileges you currently have, because you will have no control over your own money to live.

"The PNM and their cashless society will empty your accounts in the dead of night and pelt you and your family on the road when you have no cash to pay your living expenses."