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Property Tax
Did
you know that Adelphi in St. James was first known as ‘Stretch and
Set’? It was the first place in the parish at which religious
knowledge was given to slaves.
ALL
YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROPERTY TAX
All land in Jamaica is valued
for the assessment of Property Tax.
Under the Land Valuation Act,
new valuations should be conducted every five years by the National
Land Agency, which is an Agency of the Ministry of Land and
Environment.
Land Valuation is conducted by
professional valuation surveyors from the National Land Agency, and
the private sector.
Valuation in Jamaica is based on
the unimproved value of the land, as set out in the Land Valuation
Act. Under this system, the valuator takes into consideration the
market value of the land, that is, the price which the owner would
expect to receive, if he/she were selling the land alone and
disregarding the value of any improvements, such as buildings and
crops.
There are several factors, which
determine the value of land. These include:
§
Size
of the parcel of land
§
Zoning,
that is, its local and use
§
Its
potential doe development
§
Type
of land
§
Topography
§
Soil
Classification
§
Access
to Municipal and Commercial Services
§
Neighbourhood
characteristics
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The
2002 valuation was the first to be undertaken in Jamaica in ten
years. The last valuation was done in 1992.
-
In
1992, the total unimproved value of land listed on the valuation
roll was $76.4 billion. These values have increased to $524
billion in 2002, and increase of 6.8 times.
-
Approximately
680,000 properties are now listed on the National Valuation
Roll, following the 2002 valuation of land.
Landowners who are dissatisfied
with the assessed value of their property may serve a Notice of
Objection on the prescribed form at the Commissioner of Land
Valuations within 60 days after receiving the Notice of Valuation.
Objections
may be made for the following reasons:
§
that the value
assessed is too high
§
that lands which
should be included in one valuation have been valued separately
§
that lands which
should have been valued separately have been included in one
valuation
§
that the person(s)
named in the Notice is/are not the owner(s) of the land
Notice of Objection forms are
available at Collectorates and Post Offices islandwide.
Persons who are objecting to the
property value, as assessed, may also fill in a Declaration of Value
Form, indicating the amount which they believe is the more accurate
value of the land. The landowner must pay 75% of the tax liability,
while the objection is being considered.
All
matters relating to the valuation of land should be addressed to:
The
Commissioner of Land Valuations
National
Land Agency
Land
Valuation Division
8
Ardenne Road, Kingston 10
Tel:
978-2181-7
Landowners are required to
provide the following information to the Commissioner of
Land Valuations to ensure that the tax roll is up-to-date:
§
Valuation number of
the property
§
Property address
§
Name of owner
§
Name of person in
possession
§
Change of marital
status
§
Mailing address of
owner
§
Name and mailing
address of the person in possession
§
Title reference
number
“Change of Address Forms”
(TRI) are available at Collectorates, Post Offices and Local
Authorities islandwide. In the case of changes in ownership and
where persons have acquired or sold land, both parties to the
transaction should advise the Commissioner of Land Valuations. Each
party must complete the necessary transfer forms. Transfers can only
be completed when each party separately advises the Commissioner.
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