Up to 400,000 have shunned Ireland’s new property tax and face direct action from the Revenue Commissioners.

Government sources have claimed that 1.2million householders complied with the registration deadline of midnight.

But as many as 400,000 property owners now face mandatory deductions of the tax after failing to make returns to the Revenue on time.

The Irish Times reports on a last-minute rush to complete registrations with the tax authority.
The Revenue authorities told the paper that 1.265 million returns had been submitted by close of business on Monday.

Some 65,000 owners signed up between mid-morning and 5pm on deadline day while a further 100,000 signed up over the weekend.

A Revenue spokeswoman indicated to the paper that registrations to date point to a compliance rate of some 76 per cent of the 1.66 million tax notifications the Revenue sent to owners.

The paper says this has prompted some relief in Government circles that a clear majority of property owners have registered with the Revenue.

Revenue chairwoman Josephine Feehily has said previously that she would be ‘disappointed if the tax authority did not achieve a compliance level of several percentage points north of 80 per cent’ by the end of the year.

The Revenue has the power to deduct the tax from the salaries or pensions of property owners from July if they do not register.

Recipients of other Government payments face mandatory deductions and self-employed evaders or companies will have to pay a late filing surcharge on income tax or corporation tax returns.

Revenue has also reserved the right to deduct the tax from the bank accounts of evaders or to refer their case to a sheriff or solicitor for collection. An annual interest charge of 8 per cent per applies to late payments.

Anti-property tax campaigner Ruth Coppinger has challenged the Revenue department’s assertion that payment was ‘inevitable’ in light of the provisions for mandatory deduction which are built into the system.

She said: “People can and will choose to take part in a boycott as a way of exerting political pressure on the Government.

“Hundreds of thousands are likely to take part in an organised boycott of this unjust bondholder tax. Many have simply decided they have no more to give.”