New property tax mapping & appraisal plan is underway

By THE STAR STAFF

Municipal Revenue Collections Center (CRIM) Executive Director Reinaldo Paniagua announced Monday that a new mapping plan is currently in progress for the reassessment of property taxes.

Initially, the project was set to begin only in the western region, but it has now been expanded to include the southern region of Puerto Rico, including the Ponce area, which serves 11 municipalities.

“We have a special project focused on mapping and appraisals, covering two municipalities at a time,” Paniagua said. “This initiative started in January of this year, and we are currently wrapping up our work in the municipalities of Coamo and Ponce.”

“Following this, we will move on to two more municipalities. I expect that by the end of September, we will complete the update of property valuations and incorporate them into our database,” he added. “During this process, we are discovering properties that will be subject to taxation, and we encourage taxpayers who have not previously done so to request exemptions.”

“Our goal is to gain a clear understanding of property ownership and the actual situation in each area,” the official continued. “This is crucial for the taxpayers, as it ensures they can access state or federal aid in the event of a natural disaster, provided they are properly registered.”

CRIM is the agency responsible for determining and collecting property taxes. The agency bills twice a year; the first bill is in July (first semester) and the second in January (second semester).