Public consultations are over, but the decisions that will determine your actual tax bill haven’t been made yet. Here’s what to do now.
1 – Check your lands inclusion in the proposed valuations
The provincial assessor’s office is required to post proposed values publicly for 15 days. Find out what your land is worth now in : How much is your property worth on paper? — and if your land’s new value is higher than you expected, you still have the right to raise concerns before values are finalised.
2 – Follow the SP’s deliberations on Assessment Levels
This is the single most important variable for your tax bill. The SP decides what percentage of the new market value is used to calculate your real property tax — and those rates have legal ceilings: 20% for residential land, 40% for agricultural, and 50% for commercial or industrial. If no new ordinance is passed, old rates remain in force.
3 – Understand the first-year cap
Even if market values increase significantly, the law limits real property tax increases to 6% in the first year of implementation. Your bill cannot jump dramatically overnight.
4 – Calculate your own estimate
Use this formula:
RPT = Land area (m²) × Market value × Assessment level × Tax rate
e.g. Assessment level as a decimal: 20% = 0.20 · Tax rate max = 0.01
Compare the result to what you currently pay to get a rough sense of the change.
5 – If you’re concerned about estate or donor taxes
Those are governed by national law and the BIR — separate from local real property tax. Consult a lawyer or the BIR district office if you have specific concerns about land transfers or inheritance.
NOTE FOR RESIDENTS OF TADIAN, BONTOC, SAGADA, AND BESAO
Residents in these municipalities have already raised concerns about proposed values being too high. Consider attending SP sessions or submitting written feedback when the ordinance process begins — that is where the figures that actually affect your tax bill will be decided.
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