A collaborative initiative between Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) and two regional municipal bodies has entered its active enforcement stage, targeting property owners with unpaid tax liabilities across six communities in southern Jamaica. The joint special operation, which first conducted on-the-ground outreach between June 6-8 and June 27-29 of 2025, focuses on delinquent accounts in Phoenix Park Village and Caribbean Estate (located in Portmore) and Green Acres, Frenchman Heights, Angel Estates, and Angel Grove (based in Spanish Town).
This enforcement push is the result of a years-long strategic effort to boost overall property tax compliance across the country and clear a backlog of long-outstanding tax arrears in the high-delinquency target zones. Originally, the formal enforcement phase was set to launch earlier than its current timeline, but preparations were disrupted when Hurricane Melissa swept through the region, forcing a temporary delay to operational schedules.
As of the latest update from TAJ, the authority has already issued more than 200 garnishment notices to financial institutions and employers of delinquent property owners who failed to either settle their outstanding balances or negotiate a formal payment arrangement by February 2026. With enforcement efforts ramping up, TAJ projects that a further 150 garnishment notices will be delivered by the close of April 2026.
Beyond wage and bank account garnishment, TAJ is expanding its enforcement toolkit to include additional punitive measures. The authority is currently evaluating the seizure of moveable assets owned by non-compliant taxpayers, the placement of legal liens on underperforming properties, and formal court proceedings against the most persistent defaulters. Officials confirmed that more than 50 delinquent property owners are currently on track to be summoned before the courts for their unpaid arrears.
In a public advisory, TAJ has issued a final call to action for residents in the targeted communities who still hold outstanding property tax obligations and have not yet reached a resolution with the authority. The agency urges all non-compliant owners to visit their nearest local tax office at the earliest opportunity to either settle their full outstanding balance or set up a structured, manageable payment plan.
TAJ warned that any property owners who fail to take proactive steps to regularize their unpaid tax accounts will face immediate enforcement action with no additional advance notice. The agency emphasized that the operation is critical to securing revenue that funds local public services and infrastructure across the Portmore and Spanish Town regions.