Ongoing Negotiations with the City Ombudsman Over Property Tax Issues for Chutznikim
15.04.2017
Israeli Shortcut has galvanized the City’s Ombudsman to find a solution for property tax discounts for chutznikim who are not Israeli citizens.
For the moment, a chutznik who seeks a discount for insufficient income has to furnish far more documents and proof of his status than an Israel.
The property tax assessment and collection department said that these requirements were put in place to insure that only those who are eligible will receive the discount and not dishonest owners of assets who fraudulently used the copies of chutznikim’ passports to get the discount. Because of the latter, the municipality suffered financial losses.
Israeli Shortcut organization is working with the City Ombudsman to ease the requirements enforced against all chutznikim despite their integrity and innocence.
Israeli Shortcut does not deny that the problematic phenomenon stated by the city collection department exists, but the organization believes that ways should be found to weed out the swindlers and prevent the damage they are causing to the general chutznik population.
Israeli Shortcut’s chairman says, “The whole goal of the requirements was for discounts to be given only to the deserving and not to those who own other properties. So what is the point of demanding irrelevant information like a valid visa covering the year that a property tax discount is being asked for?”
The ties with the City Ombudsman are continuing and Israeli Shortcut hopes the negotiations will yield long awaited relief for the city’s chutznikim.