OUTA highlights property valuation deadline
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse urges property owners in the city to act fast and review the new property rates as the 5 May deadline may result in an overpayment in rates or unnecessary complications.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) urged property owners in Johannesburg to act fast and review the new property rates before the 5 May deadline.
As the deadline looms, Outa has urged residents to take the matter seriously as the failure to review could result in an overpayment in rates or unnecessary complications.
“Previous cases have shown that property owners can save tens of thousands of rands by objecting to irrational property valuations that affect their rate increases,” said Julius Kleynhans, Outa executive head of social innovation.
“The City’s method of determining the value of your property can result in an overvaluation, which can lead to inflated rates that are not accurate. Rates should be based on the market value of your property in July 2022, using a ‘willing buyer and willing seller’ approach, and calculated in accordance with the City’s property rates policy and property category rates.”
Through their local Community Action Network (Can) initiative, Outa has provided alternative processes and information for property owners on how to inspect their property value, and object if needed. Since the beginning of February, they have had campaigns, and hosted webinars through social media, teaching residents how to inspect and object to their property valuations. According to the organisation, this comes after some residents reached out after they saw their property valuations had increased by a significant figure.
Outa insists that it educates and provides residents with information about the property valuation process and the importance of public participation to ensure fair property rates.
“We will continue to support public participation in all aspects of local government decision-making. We believe that informed and engaged residents are the key to good governance and successful municipalities.”
The City of Johannesburg extended the deadline from 31 March to 5 May 2023 after it was reported that various stakeholders had reported problems with the valuation process and systems, leading to the decision. For more information on how to inspect and object to your new property valuation, visit the Outa and City of Johannesburg websites for a step-by-step guide.
