Local Property Tax set to remain unchanged for 2021 in Louth

Louth County Councillors have agreed not to increase the Local Property Tax (LPT) for 2022 at this month’s County Council meeting.

Bernie Woods, Louth County Council’s Head of Finance, lead the debate saying that the decision on the LPT was pushed forward to July due to Revenue requiring to know whether there was a change by September 31st.

This was done due to it being a revaluation year, the first since the LPT was introduced in 2013.

Usually, the council will decide whether or not to change the rates in their September meeting.

According to Mrs Woods, the revaluation will change the value of properties in Louth alongside houses that had previously been exempt from the LPT no longer being ineligible.

Mrs Woods said that due to the legislation underpinning the revaluation still going through the Oireachtas, it would be between six and nine months before the effects of the revaluation are known.

When consider the proposals, Mrs Woods asked councillors to consider LCC’s budget, due to the LPT making up the base of their income. 

Fianna Fáil Cllr Emma Coffey proposed that the council keep the LPT at its current rate.

Cllr Coffey said that she accepted LCC had faced increased cost this year, but that many households could be hit with further increases to the LPT through the revaluation.

Cllr Kevin Callan seconded the proposal, and it was carried as no councillor had put forward a second proposal.