Quezon City to collect property tax based on 2017 land values

MANILA, Philippines — After a five-year pause, the Quezon City government said it will resume the collection of real property taxes this year based on the 2017 schedule of fair market values (FMV) of the land.

“Beginning with the taxable year 2023, we will use the FMVs for various classes of real property as defined in Ordinance No. SP-2556, S-2016 which was passed in 2016 and was applied until 2017,” city treasurer Ed Villanueva said in a statement yesterday.

He clarified that the adjustment is not a new increase but simply a reversion to the rate that was used five years ago.

In 2016, the city government passed the updated FMV in line with the Local Government Code, which mandates the revision of real property assessments every three years.

The Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order following a petition filed by a homeowner’s association questioning the legality of the ordinance. The TRO was lifted a year later, paving the way for the reimplementation of the updated schedule of FMVs.

Despite the favorable decision, the city government decided in 2018 to continue the suspension to alleviate “the effects of inflation caused by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law.”

It extended the suspension until last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its latest statement, the city government noted that it would receive P1 billion less in national tax allotment as a result of the national government’s shortfall in tax collections owing to the pandemic.

“The reinstatement of the former rate is required to support the city’s five major thrusts. It includes particularly the expansion of social services and the establishment of necessary infrastructure facilities,” it said.

Tax payments can be made through the City Treasurer’s Office at the city hall, various payment centers or online through the QC E-Services.

Taxpayers who will settle their annual dues on or before March 31 can avail themselves of a 20 percent discount, while those who will pay via installment or on or before the end of each quarter will receive a 10 percent discount.