FARMERS with land that may fall under the scope of Residential Zoned Land Tax have been urged by the IFA to make themselves fully aware of the 2025 updated zoning maps in Cork.
These maps were updated in January.
Lands that are zoned residential and serviced are liable for the tax at 3% of market value, however former Minister for Finance Jack Chambers (FF) announced an exemption for landowners in Budget 2025.
In order to avail of this one-year exemption, landowners must make an application to their local authority to have their lands re-zoned based on the current economic activity on the land.
Landowners with affected land must apply before March 31st to Cork County Council to de-zone their land, if they wish to avail of this exemption.
The IFA – who believe that hundreds of farmers around the country have land that has been zoned residential – have said that a one-year exemption on farmland is not enough, and that they will continue to campaign for the removal of farmland from the scope of RZLT.
‘IFA and farmers understand the need to build new homes, but RZLT is not the instrument that will solve the current deficit in housing supply,’ said IFA farm business chair Bill O’Keeffe.
‘There are many other barriers to the supply of new housing that the Government needs to address.
‘It is important that farmers realise they must act before the March deadline and apply for their lands to be rezoned regardless of previous applications,’ he said.
Regardless of the outcome of the application to rezone, it is the act of applying that will facilitate an exemption from the scope of RZLT for landowners in 2025.
