70% paid household charge

MORE than 70 per cent of people in Wicklow have paid the household charge.

Debbie Cromie of Wicklow County Council said that a total of 32,099 households have paid the charge with the number of households liable 45,665 according to CSO figures.

A total of 480 households have applied for a waiver.

The waivers from payment of the household charge are as follows: owners of residential property entitled to mortgage interest supplement and owners of residential property located in prescribed unfinished housing estates.

The household charge receipts and motor tax receipts now fund the Local Government Fund and Wicklow County Council received a total of €14,357,641 in the Local Government Fund.

With the details of the new property tax which will replace the household charge emerging those who haven’t paid the charge will still be liable.

Currently the household charge for people who didn’t pay stands at €130. However from July 1 any outstanding Household Charge will be increased to €200 and added to the Local Property Tax due on the property.

This year Wicklow County Coun- cil will be liable for approximately €273,000 in property tax on its housing stock of 2,430, she said, ‘ based on the assumption that our houses are valued between €100,000 and €150,000’.

This will double in 2014 when the property tax will become a yearly fee. With the deadline for the so called septic tank charges due before February 1 she said that as of December 24 a total of 7.477 people have paid the charge generating an income of €45,440. She said while a definitive number of liable households wasn’t available it was felt that approximately 12,000 household were liable for the charge.