Around 1.4 million homeowners will have to re-evaluate their properties by early November, as part of Local Property Tax changes.
This is to update a database that was last reviewed back in 2013.
Plans to re-evaluate the property tax have previously been delayed three times.
Norah Collender is a professional tax leader with Chartered Accountants Ireland.
She told The Hard Shoulder the changes also apply to those with second, or vacant, properties.
"It doesn't actually have to be occupied, so you could have property that's vacant - that still comes in to the LPT net.
"Second houses or investment properties also come within the charge."
She says the changes should not see many people paying a larger bill.
"The rates were introduced in 2013, so there were 20 bands of various rates of actual valuations.
"What the Government has done is they've actually increased the valuation bands by 75%.
"So the over-riding message is the actual liability shouldn't change that significantly for the majority of people.
"It will change for some individuals whose houses are really after going up in value - you're into the millions.
"But for the majority of homeowners, the actual valuation bands have gone up by 75% and the rate itself has reduced."
What do I need to do?
Norah says a tool from Revenue should help people get started.
"The 1st of November... the value of your property on that particular date, and submit an LPT return on the 7th of November.
"And you'll then go about paying your Local Property Tax.
"Revenue have provided a valuation tool on their website: the valuation tool has the 20 bands, and each band is 87,500 wide.
"So you pick a valuation within that band - but there is a disclaimer with that tool, saying 'you have to self-assess'.
"You have to estimate, or put a valuation, based on your best estimate of what your house is".
However if homeowners find the bands do not work for them, Norah says they have to go further.
"If the valuation tool doesn't look right, then you're required to go about establishing the market value of your house.
"You do that by looking at all other resources: such as what's the property market in your locality, based on local estate agents.
"MyHome.ie, paper adverts, the Property Price Register... and you can also avail of a professional valuation on your property".
And she says gardens and other amenities also have to be taken into account.
"You also have to take in the value of up to an acre of a garden around your house.
"And than any amenity building - like a home office, a garden room - and a lot of garden rooms and home offices have been put in over the last 18 months.
"So they also have to be factored into the valuation along with sheds and greenhouses - but not farm property, not farm sheds".
Exemptions
Norah adds that while there are exemptions, evaluations still need to be submitted.
"There are exemptions for homes that have been impacted by pyrite, the mica exemption for building block issues.
"There's also exemptions for charities that would provide residential property as part of their charitable purpose.
"The key factor is: even if the property's exempt, you have to get a valuation and you still have to submit a Local Property Tax return - and you have to apply for the exemption".
