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A ROW OVER the potential deferral of a tax on undeveloped land could be put to bed as leader of the Green Party Roderic O’Gorman believes all three Government parties can come to an agreement before the Budget.
Speaking in Dublin today, O’Gorman made his first public remarks about a row that between the three Government parties last week after reports that a tax on undeveloped land would possibly be excluded in the Budget.
The Greens came out strong last week, with many claiming they had been “blindsided” by the reports and called for the tax to be included in this year’s Budget.
Residential Zoned Land Tax is targeted at unused land, which has been zoned or classified as a site for housing. The tax would include mixed-land sites, where other services may also be built on the site, and the rate is set at 3% of the land’s market value.
The rate, which O’Gorman today acknowledged was significantly high, is aimed to make it so those who are seen to be ‘hoarding’ land pay a fee on the unused land, develop housing on the site or sell it on to someone who will develop the land.
It was set to kick in in February, with bills coming due in May 2025. Farmers believe, however, it that the fee unfairly targets them as some of their land may go unused for particular portions of the year.
Last week, Finance Minister Jack Chambers was seeking to defer the introduction of the tax for another year, according to reports. Taoiseach Simon Harris defended the choice, claiming that it was unfair and “offensive” to label farmers as ‘land hoarders’.
But, speaking on the row for the first time today, Minister for Integration O’Gorman said that he expects that the land tax will indeed be included in the Budget in October and that concessions will be made for farmers.
“Penalizing farmers, who are working their land and who plan to continue to do so, is not what we’re trying to do here,” he told reporters today. “So a carve out that avoids that – it’s not a climb down – is something that we all welcome, across all three parties.”
The minister added that he spoke to Chambers about the issue last weekend and added that work is “underway” in the Department of Finance, along with the Attorney General, to figure out a way that an exclusionary clause can be created for farmers.
O’Gorman said he was “confident” that the Department of Finance would deliver a tax regime that excludes farmers but still “attacks” the issue of land hoarding to ensure that zoned and serviced land for housing is actually used.
“The scale of the housing crisis is too great for us just to allow that land stay idle,” he added. O’Gorman did not deny that the party was “blindsided” by the reports, but said that he has since engaged with Minister Jack Chambers on the issue.
Simon Harris, speaking at the same event, said that he welcomed the fact that the Department were working on proposals to get the land tax regime over the line.
“It’s important to remember that all three parties in our cabinet collectively decided that this was a good measure, and it is in the housing for all strategy Minister O’Gorman rightly refers to,” the Taoiseach added.
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What about the estate owner who never done a bit of farming, but still get every tax exemption, and farming grant ,for ffs Charlie was doing it in north county Dublin years before he got the job ffg take from the many to enrich the few ,
An amendment that reads something like “farmers are exempt from these fees’ would work a treat
@Mick O’K: a lot of developers will be doing a bit of goat farming on the side.
Stop blaming hard working g people who saved some money for a lack of housing.
Kick the doleheads out of their free houses and reward workers
@Paul: And create a new disability allowance for the hard of thinking
As farmers are not interested in money but only want to keep farming then they should be allowed to have their land dezoned. This would return the land to its original value so they can continue farming to their hearts content. Hahahahahaha!
Roderic O Gorman despises Farmers, nearly as much as Irish workers. He would love to see them gone, he has no problem with the Emissions from cement plants & construction, just the farmers. The sooner these a holes are gone the better, O Gorman has caused immeasurable damage to this country & his madcap tweet to the world inviting Asylum Seekers here, is now costing us Billions & putting every service to the point of collapse.
Is farming a business or a charity? Not enough fodder for ur animals? No problem, Govt’s got you covered. Too much/not enough rain, we got u! Need subsidies to stay in business, well in comes the EU to the rescue. This fkn country!!
@Chutes: for most farmers it’s a very difficult business, with long hours to provide you with the essentials that keep you alive.
@Dere: They don’t do it for my benefit, they do it for profit!
@Chutes: oh and btw, I could prolly manage sans beef and milk! I think ur talking about farmers from other countries.
@Dere: long hours during season for sure, the rest of the year, I guess not so much. Dairy farms might be different, but a lot is automated there as well today.
@Chutes: you do know food doesn’t grow in a supermarket!!
@Washpenrebel: WHAT??? Fk off!
@Washpenrebel: and the money for grants, subsidies and tax breaks doesn’t grow on trees.
@Dere: they can spend plenty of time at the ploughing championship.
@Dere: At maximum profit
God we love our loop holes.
@brian o’leary:
Tax loopholes were created by the FG party, Michael Noonan was the primary architect.
They are the most creative loopholes in political history.
Still much loved by FFG as a reward for their supporters/friends/beneficiaries etc .Time for a change,
Gov wants to tax everything, destroying farming, telling the farmers how to farm and now wants to tax the land that they own, like everything else, in the end they’ll break them down and claim the land grab. Only off the table due to the impending election.
.
@Rosie Martin: they want to tax land zoned for housing only not farmland, if farmers want to use the land for farming then re-zone as farm land to avoid taxation.
Sounds like the cracks are beginning to show….
@Pat Barry:
Not really, more like posturing in the run up to an election
have your say