According to him, property tax applies to additional square meters of real estate owned by an individual that exceed the exempt square footage (for apartments — 60 sq m, houses — 120 sq m, for both apartments and houses — 180 sq m, including their shares).
"For instance, if an individual owns an apartment of 65 sq m or two apartments or shares in them, totaling 30 sq m and 35 sq m, the individual will only need to pay tax on 5 square meters (65-60=5, where 65 sq m is the total taxable area, and 60 sq m is the exemption for apartments that can reduce the tax base). Individuals do not calculate this tax independently; the tax authorities handle that. Therefore, the individual should expect to receive a tax notification-decision with the calculation by mail, which is generally sent out by July 1," Ivan Marinyuk explained.
The property tax for real estate owned by individuals is assessed by the State Tax Service based on data from the State Register of Property Rights and the original documents of the taxpayer, particularly documents proving ownership, noted Roman Mikhailovsky, a lawyer and partner at SLA Attorneys.
The tax rate on real estate and any exemptions for tax payment are determined and approved by rural, settlement, and city councils.
"The reporting period for the property tax payment is one year. The tax rates for residential and/or non-residential properties are set at a rate not exceeding 1.5 percent of the minimum wage established by law as of January 1 of the reporting (tax) year, per square meter of the tax base," said Roman Mikhailovsky.
Thus, if a property owner currently receives a tax notification for the payment due for 2024, the tax rate (maximum) should not exceed 106.5 UAH per square meter (since the minimum wage as of January 1, 2024, was 7100 UAH). If, however, the notification is for payment for 2023, the calculation based on the minimum wage of 6700 UAH means the maximum tax amount is 100.5 UAH per square meter. However, as previously noted, not the entire area of the real estate is taxed, but only that which exceeds the so-called exempt size specified in the Tax Code (for apartments — 60 sq m, for houses — 120 sq m).
It should be noted that in Ukraine, paying land tax is mandatory for most citizens; however, certain categories, such as pensioners, people with disabilities, and large families, may qualify for exemptions.