The government has been urged to “end confusion” over the new Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT), particularly in relation to who it applies to, by a Mayo TD.
Fine Gael TD, Michael Ring, believes farmers should not be liable for the 3% tax and that local authorities should directly contact farmers about de-zoning their land.
He believes this approach would ensure that farmers do not receive a bill that could cost them tens of thousands of euro each year.
Deputy Ring said: “Minister for Agriculture [Food and the Marine], Charlie McConalogue, has now confirmed through the media that farmers will not be exempt from the new RZLT and that they will have to apply to get this land de-zoned in order to avoid being levied.”
RZLT problems
He believes this “burdensome task has now been foisted on to farmers without any notice”, and he said that farmers were earning a living from their land “and are in no way sitting on vast swathes of land that could be used to build houses”.
According to the Fine Gael TD for Mayo there are currently delays and problems with some farmers who are seeking to get their land de-zoned through local authorities.
Deputy Ring claimed that these farmers are then subjected to more red tape and “bureaucracy when the application goes to An Bord Pleanála and it is rejected”.
“The whole process is bogged down in red tape and it is causing worry for members of the farming community, who need clarity on how they go about getting their land de-zoned in a timely manner before this tax comes into effect next year,” he added.
“Our farmers are extremely busy, diligent people out working the land – they are not developers and they shouldn’t be subjected to the minutia of the development and zoning of land, checking maps and where and what exclusions apply to them.”
Deputy Ring also referenced Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s comments recently in the Dáil where he “gave an undertaking” that he would address RZLT issues.
Deputy Ring said he intends to ensure that there will be fair play for farmers.
“If there is no exemption forthcoming in the legislation, with the new tax collected by the Revenue Commissioners, then a solution could have to come from the Department of Housing to ensure that de-zoning application requests are prioritised and dealt with promptly,” Deputy Ring added.