Real property owners in Bacolod City are encouraged to settle their tax dues at the Land Tax Division before the year ends to avail the 20 percent discount offered by the city government.

Arlene Memoria, head of the Land Tax office, said the discount is granted to the taxpayers year round and they do not have to wait until December to avail it.

She said the influx of taxpayers at their office in December showed that most think the discount only applies at year-end.

Memoria clarified that the 20 percent discount has been granted to all land taxpayers since the Local Tax Code was approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod in 1992. Starting January 2009, the discount will be lowered to 10 percent, she said.

Meanwhile, the land tax office has been consistently hitting their target collection every year, a proof that Bacolod City taxpayers are not remiss in their tax dues, Memoria said.

In his state of the city address last year, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that from January to June 2007, land tax collections were registered at P65 million compared to only P23 million and P29 million during the first six months of 2005 and 2006, respectively.

He said the uptrend was a result of an intensive collection campaign by the Land Tax division and from the implementation of City Ordinance No. 369 which adjusted the assessed values of real estate properties in the city.*NAB

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