Nuwe Belastingwet op Eiendom Bekend Gestel

-Benita Freysen-

Op Donderdag, 4 September, het meneer Wellies Welgemoed van Akhile Konsultante die nuwe Belastingwet op Eiendom aan die gemeenskap van Prince Albert kom bekendstel.

Kennisgewings is vroegtydig per hand, in elke posbus en telefonies, aan die gemeenskap deurgegee om hierdie belang-rike vergadering by te woon. Die opkoms was egter uiters swak - belastingbetalers besef blykbaar nie hoe belangrik hierdie wet is nie. Dit raak elkeen wat ‘n eiendom besit en belasting aan die Munisipaliteit van Prince Albert betaal.

Die aanbieding was interessant en agtergrond oor die wet (en die toepassing daarvan) is deurgegee. Munisipaliteite se reg om belastings te hef, asook hul plig om dienste te lewer, is bespreek. Meneer Welgemoed het beklemtoon dat inkomste afkomstig van eiendomsbelasting ‘n kritieke bron van inkomste is.

Die belangrikste implikasie van die nuwe wet is dat eiendomsbelasting vanaf
1 Julie 2009 volgens markverwante waardasies bepaal sal word. “Mark-verwant“ beteken die prys wat ‘n vrywillige koper bereid sal wees om te betaal aan ‘n vrywillige verkoper van ‘n spesifieke eiendom.

Inligtingstukke is nog beskikbaar by die Tesourie-Afdeling van die Munisipaliteit, indien enigiemand sou belangstel.

NEW PROPERTY RATES ACT PRESENTED TO COMMUNITY

On Thursday, 4 September 2008, Mr Wellies Welgemoed of Akhile Consultants presented the new Property Rates Act (Act 4/2006) to the community of Prince Albert at a meeting in the VGK church hall. The Municipality informed the community well in advance of this important meeting by placing notices in every post box and through telephonic invitations. In spite of this, attendance was poor – clearly ratepayers do not realise the importance of this new Act, which affects everybody who owns property and pays rates to the Municipality of Prince Albert.

Mr Welgemoed’s presentation was informative and explained the background to the Act and its implementation. He also discussed the rights of municipalities to set and collect rates, as well as their duty to deliver efficient services. Mr Welgemoed emphasised that the proceeds derived from property rates represent a vital source of revenue for municipalities.

The most important change introduced by the new Act is that as of 1 July 2009, property rates will be determined by market-related evaluations. “Market-related” means the price that a willing buyer is prepared to pay a willing seller for a specific property.

Copies of the presentation are still available at the Treasury Department of the Municipality for those who are interested.