VALENZUELA CITY Mayor Rexlon T. Gatchalian has approved an ordinance extending the tax relief period on real property taxes by three months to the end of the first quarter.
Ordinance No. 641 amended Ordinance No. 586, S. 2019 by extending the grant of tax relief to March 31. The grant of tax relief under the previous ordinance expired on Dec. 31.
“There is a need to extend the Real Property Tax Relief to encourage bringing citizens into compliance with law rather than further burdening them with interest on their tax due,” according to the ordinance.
The ordinance was passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Dec. 16 last year and takes effect immediately upon signing.
The Commission of Audit-Valenzuela City Field Office had recommended the extension as well as the payment of real property taxes for delinquency of five years and current tax due to encourage payment.
The ordinance deems tax relief eligibility to have been waived upon failure to settle delinquencies by March 31.
“They shall be deemed to have waived their rights under this Ordinance,” it stated. “And the total amount due including its interest from the time of their delinquencies before the amnesty shall become automatically due.”
Meanwhile, the computation of market value for undeclared properties that will be declared for the first time will be based on the existing ordinance at the time of the approval of Ordinance No. 586, S. 2019.
The Valenzuela City government first issued Ordinance No. 586, allowing delinquent taxpayers to settle property taxes including interest from 2014 up to the date of application. — Charmaine A. Tadalan
