The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provides the legislative basis for the Non-Principal Private Residence Charge. The NPPR Charge, which has since been discontinued, applied in the years 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence. The self-assessed charge is set at €200 per annum and liability for it falls, in the main, on owners of rental, holiday and vacant properties. It is a matter for an owner, whether resident in Ireland or elsewhere, to determine if he or she has a liability and, if so, to declare that liability and pay the Charge and any late payment fees applicable. Under the Act, it is a function of a local authority to collect Non-Principal Private Residence Charges, and late payment fees due to it and all Charges and late payment fees imposed and payable to a local authority are under the care and management of the local authority concerned.
Approximately 385,000 properties have been registered for the Non-Principal Private Residence Charge, which has raised in excess of €544m to date over its five years of operation. Proceeds from the charge are retained by local authorities and are used for the provision of local services. It is not possible to state with certainty the level of non-compliance with the Charge. In 2016, to date, approximately €30m has been collected by local authorities in charges relating to the period 2009-2013.