A party-list legislator on Friday vowed to scrap increased taxes on residential, commercial, and industrial lots in Quezon City if he is elected mayor in the May 2022 elections.
“Our people are already struggling from the COVID-19 pandemic, with many workers finding it hard to support their families’ daily needs. We should not add to their financial burden,” Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor said.
Currently, Defensor said the land tax increase is just suspended until December 2022, under a city council ordinance signed by Mayor Joy Belmonte.
“They should discard that imposition permanently. If they do not do it, I and my vice-mayor partner Winnie Castelo will do it,” he said.
The mayoral candidate added that the city government “should not overburden our residents with additional taxes in the next few years, when we expect to still grapple with the raging health crisis.”
He noted that Quezon City residents are already paying increased taxes on homes, apartments, buildings, and other improvements on their land.
“We can afford to forego the additional levy on land as a way of giving back to our taxpayers. The city has enough revenues for its projects, programs and its workforce,” Defensor stressed.
He said the scrapping of the increase would benefit all residents, from small property owners to businessmen, and even renters.
