Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In June this year, Revenue launched a series of information sessions and webinars with key relevant stakeholders, including Citizens Information, the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority, the Irish Council for Social Housing, the Irish property valuers association and all local authorities. Revenue has undertaken significant work to understand the number of properties that have indications they are likely to be vacant. Revenue can access data from other Government agencies to assist in identifying any property in use for less than 30 days in a chargeable period. Revenue has been analysing a range of data sets to build a preliminary register of properties potentially in use for 30 days or less in a chargeable period, in particular ESB Networks data to extract cases with low energy usage. It has refined the data to arrive at an initial data set of approximately 25,000 properties that may be in scope of the vacant homes tax. It has also analysed the local property tax returns for a number years in respect of each property. It has extensive data.

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