Muntinlupa urges landowners to avoid idle land tax

It’s not a good time to be idle!

If you are owning a property in Muntinlupa City and more than 50 percent of its area is unutilized, you may be taxed with an additional levy.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi urged Muntinlupa residents and developers with idle lands to continuously develop and ensure utilization of their properties to its best use to avoid idle land tax.

Muntinlupa amended its Revenue Code and has begun its imposition of an ad valorem on real properties (idle land tax) through Ordinance 17-123.

Muntinlupa Assessor’s Office (MAO) chief Vincent Misa said the city government will be charging additional tax on idle lands in the locality at .5 percent of assessed value on residential lots and two percent on commercial/industrial properties.

He said that the initiative will translate to additional revenues for the local government to sustain the delivery of basic services in the city.

Lands shall be considered unutilized if more than 50 percent of its area is not used in accordance with the permitted or authorized use, that which is physically and financially viable and the more productive use.

Further, properties with structures or other kinds of construction evaluated as less than 50 percent of the assessed value of the land shall also be considered as unimproved and idle.

Misa added that MAO has deployed a special team to conduct inspections and tax campaign among barangays.

The MAO chief explained that the ‘idle land’ status with its additional tax can be removed upon re-assessment with construction of structures and development of the property.

According to Muntinlupa Revenue Code, landowners on the following grounds are exempted from the idle land tax: reasons of force majeure or natural calamity, unfavorable physical factors as certified by the Department of Agriculture, and circumstance which physically or legally prevents the owner of the property or person having legal interest owner of the property or person having legal interest therein from improving, utilizing or cultivating the same.

MAO offers up to 10 percent discount to landowners paying RPT ahead of the scheduled deadline.

For more details, call Muntinlupa Assessor’s Office at (02) 8625111 or 8626450. MAO is located at G/F Muntinlupa City Hall, Main Building, National Road, Muntinlupa City.