Manning: Property tax payments nearing threshold

Brian Manning, Minister in the Ministry of Finance, says the government is "very close" to reaching the 50 per cent threshold required to implement the property tax.

In an interview with TTT’s Rawkus Remy on November 13, Manning said roughly 200,000 notices of annual rental values (ARVs) have been issued to the approximately 197,000 residential property owners in Trinidad and Tobago.

He noted that all property assessments should be sent out by November 30, with a payment deadline of December 20.

In June, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement saying over 198,000 ARVs had already been dispatched.

Manning said payments have increased with the recent introduction of online payment systems at First Citizens and Republic Bank, with additional banks expected to follow suit shortly.

“We’ve been extremely pleased and impressed with how many people have paid,” he said. “It’s been going well. We’ve had a bit of a slow start, but now that we’ve implemented some of the online payment systems, which the public requested, we listened. We’ve introduced some of those payment systems, and it has been going a lot smoother. So all is well.”

He said property owners should pay their taxes in full, noting that if downward adjustments are later deemed necessary, the excess would be credited toward future payments or a rebate issued.

Manning also said the Valuation Division is available to address queries, and an independent tribunal exists to resolve any further disputes.

He said property taxes are key to local-government reform and will fund essential community services.

“Property taxes you pay would actually benefit you within your community,” he said, specifying uses such as road repairs, drainage and garbage collection.