Opposition figure Gotsiridze urges changes to Georgia’s Property Tax Law, calls for moratorium if not amended

Georgian opposition politician Roman Gotsiridze on Wednesday called for an immediate revision of Georgia’s property tax law for individuals, arguing that the current version includes “absurd provisions” and could enable selective enforcement by the authorities.

“If the law on property tax for individuals is not urgently changed, a moratorium must be declared on its enforcement, because in some cases it includes absurd clauses that make implementation either impossible or open to political misuse”, Gotsiridze said.

He added, the law defines taxable income broadly - not only salaries but also all other types of income, including rent, royalties, foreign remittances, property sales, dividends and even monetary gifts.

“For example, if someone collects ₾5,000 ($1,835) to pay a fine for blocking a street during a protest, that money is added to their income. Ironically, that person could become liable to pay property tax because of this ‘additional income,’” he explained.

He also noted that remittances from Georgian emigrants abroad are counted as taxable income, even though many families are unaware of this.

“An average family receives roughly $400–$600 dollars per month from abroad. While that may not reach the annual ₾40,000 ($14,682) taxable threshold by itself, the problem is that it adds up with other household income,” he said.

Gotsiridze added that the issue is now particularly relevant as the deadline for filing property tax declarations expires at the end of this month, with payments due by November 15.

“Many citizens are already facing tax obligations they cannot afford to pay,” he warned.