Revenue warns of tougher penalties for property tax defaulters
Revenue officials are lining up a string of penalties for homeowners who fail to meet tonight's property tax deadline.
Up to €6m has been collected over the past 48 hours, bringing the total compliance rate to 88%.
Those who have not paid are being warned that they could be brought before the courts.
A last-minute scramble to pay the property tax is expected today ahead of midnight's deadline.
Interest will kick in immediately once the deadline passes as the Revenue puts its compliance programme in action.
Officials say tougher penalties await those who continue to ignore the ultimatum, including deduction from wages, referral of the debt to a Sheriff or Solicitor, and the prospect of being brought before the courts.
Those who deliberately undervalue their home will also be under scrutiny, 2,000 have already owned up to under-declaring since November.
There is also expected to be a surge in the number paying arrears on their 2012 household charge, with 2,000 payments made in the last couple of days.
