Quezon City eases tax exemptions on idle lands

The Quezon City government on Sunday said that it simplified the process of applying for a tax exemption on idle land to further encourage landowners to engage in urban farming.

According to the Quezon City government, landowners who wish to apply for the tax exemption must submit an application letter via email, a duly accomplished application for waiver of idle land tax for food security, and the latest photos of their property.

Landowners must also submit at least one copy of any of the following documents: latest Real Property Tax official receipt, Tax Declaration or their Land Title.

“In order to strengthen our advocacy of achieving food security, landowners with idle lands that will be converted to urban farms need only to submit a one-time application to the city government. This is a win-win solution for both the landowners and the city,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a statement.

After submitting the requirements, the Quezon City Food Security Task Force (QC-FSTF) will assess the application form and supporting documents.

As part of the validation of the application, an inspector will also be visiting the idle land, the Quezon City local government explained.

After validation, the landowner will be issued an Urban Agriculture Activity Certification (UAAC) signed by the city mayor, which indicates that the landowner has already started urban agriculture activities on the land.

This UAAC will be forwarded to the City Assessor’s Office (CAO) for Idle Land Tax delisting.

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Following this, the applicant will receive a notice from the CAO approval for idle land tax exemption via email.

“We highly encourage landowners of idle lands to make use of their land for urban agriculture, which can help the city achieve its food security goals, especially now that we simplified our process,” QC-FSTF co-Chair Emmanuel Hugh Velasco said in the same statement.

Based on data from the Quezon City government, there are 1,026 urban farms in the city being managed by 25,650 urban farmers. —ZEUS LEGASPI INQ