Taxation

BBMP slaps tax notices on Covid-weary Bengalureans

Friday, 30 July 2021 00:00 administrator

The Times of India 30.07.2021

BBMP slaps tax notices on Covid-weary Bengalureans

Property owners in BBMP limits pay property tax after self-assessment, either online or offline at a BBMP office, after filling a form which asks for details like property area, whether it’s being used by the owner or if it has been rented out.

BENGALURU: Thousands of property owners are furious as BBMP has slapped notices on them, alleging they have under-assessed their property tax since 2016-17 and demanded payment of the shortfall along with interest till date.

Girish Nag M, a resident of JP Nagar, said: “We’ve been paying property tax as per the BBMP website. Now, it’s accusing us of evading taxes. BBMP is asking us to pay penalties for the past four years. Who has the money as we’ve all been hit by Covid-19?”

BBMP chief commissioner Gaurav Gupta said, “We’re looking into the matter. The zones were specified and some people chose the wrong zones. We haven’t changed the category of zones in the recent past. We’ll take a decision after assessing the situation.”

The special commissioner, revenue department, of the civic agency was not available for comment.
The city is divided into six zones based on guidance value of properties for computation of property tax and it varies from zone to zone. During 2016-17, the boundaries of zones that determine property tax were redrawn and many wards moved into zones where property tax was higher.

Citizens put on notice say BBMP should not have waited four years to rectify things.

“It should have informed us in the beginning. We have been sent notices now for choosing the wrong zone and paying less property tax. I have to pay over Rs 8,000 and a penalty of Rs 16,000 as well as interest of Rs 8,000, that’s a total of Rs 32,000,” Girish added.

Although the notice is dated February, it was issued to Girish and several other citizens from across wards only three weeks ago.

“They probably waited for Covid-19 to wane a bit before issuing notices. What the Palike doesn’t understand is that the city is recovering from Covid-19. Many of us have incurred losses, especially commercial establishments, and been asked to pay a fine of Rs 3 Lakh,” Girish added.

Amba Prasad, a resident of Vysya Bank Colony, Arekere, also received the BBMP notice a few weeks ago. “As soon as I upload my PID (Property Identification number), all details about the property show up. The tax is automatically calculated and I just have to pay the amount. It should have ensured everything was changed four years ago. Instead, it has sent us notices with just 30 days to revert. In our colony, 25 residents received this notice. We now plan to write to BBMP and also approach the former corporator for assistance,” she said.

Sathya Kumar, a resident of Mysore Bank Colony, said, “During these difficult times, while other governments are waiving taxes, BBMP is imposing penalties on us for no fault of ours. Such harassment is not fair. Resident groups should come together to file a petition against this.”

Gunter civic body offers interest exemption on property tax till December 31

Tuesday, 24 December 2019 00:00 administrator

The New Indian Express 24.12.2019

Gunter civic body offers interest exemption on property tax till December 31

Municipal commissioner C Anuradha has urged taxpayers to clear their dues within the next seven days.

For representational purposes

By Express News Service

GUNTUR: The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) is offering interest exemption on property tax for housing and commercial property owners till December 31. Consequently, municipal commissioner C Anuradha has urged taxpayers to clear their dues within the next seven days.

Anuradha conducted a review meeting with revenue inspectors, bill collectors and administrative secretaries of Guntur on Monday and directed them to collect property taxes from the people within a stipulated time frame and reach the targets fixed by the revenue department officials.

The corporation has also decided to conduct a special tax collection drive.

She ordered the administrative secretaries to coordinate with bill collectors and revenue inspectors to collect property tax from the public. She also urged the officials concerned to conduct awareness campaigns pertaining to interest exemption among taxpayers till December 31. She directed the bill collectors to submit the list of defaulters to administrative secretaries for speedy recovery of taxes from them.

The municipal commissioner requested citizens to send a copy of their tax payment receipt to GMC failing which, their drinking water supply will be stopped.GMC additional commissioner Bhagyalakshmi, deputy commissioner D Srinivasa Rao, revenue officers SS Prasad and P Narsi Reddy participated in the meeting.

Last Updated on Friday, 23 October 2020 10:21

Hospitals may get property tax exemption

Friday, 25 May 2018 06:11 administrator

The Hindu 25.05.2018

Hospitals may get property tax exemption

IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao at Basavatarakam Cancer Hospital on Thursday.K.V.S. GIRI

Govt. to issue a GO in this regard

Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday hinted that the TRS Government would issue a GO facilitating property tax exemption for hospitals that serve the poor, charitable trusts and charities.

“By doing so, even if the government changes, the institutions will continue to enjoy the benefits,” Mr. Rama Rao said after inaugurating the advanced BMT facility at Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute here.

The Minister said in the last 12 years, the hospital had urged three past Chief Ministers to provide property tax exemption, but in vain. “It was only after K. Chandrasekhar Rao became the Chief Minister that it was decided to provide property tax exemption to cancer hospital,” he added. Mr. Rama Rao gave a call for taking up massive cancer awareness campaign through government-private partnership. Actor N. Balakrishna, who is the chairperson of the institute, said the hospital, that began with merely 40 beds, was known for its world class facilities today.

Many properties ‘missing’ in tax portal! V. Geetanath HYDERABAD, January 07, 2018 00:00 IST Updated: January 07, 2018 03:52 IST Share Article PRINT A A A [Many properties ‘missing’ in tax portal!] Commissioners asked to make precise assessm

Monday, 08 January 2018 09:31 administrator

The Hindu 08.01.2018

Many properties ‘missing’ in tax portal!

Commissioners asked to make precise assessment, submit details within 10 days

About 13,113 urban properties in 63 municipalities or Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across Telangana do not show any measurements pertaining to the size or shape in the official records while another 1,394 properties in 43 municipalities are with zero tax payment!

These ‘discrepancies’ in the property tax records in the Urban Local Bodies came to light when senior officials of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development pursued a report furnished by E-suvidha to the department detailing tax receipts for the year so far.

With just three months to go for the various municipal bodies to complete collection of property tax, which is a major source of revenue, the department has directed municipal commissioners of the ULBs concerned to make precise assessments of the properties listed and submit details of the same within 10 days.

There are close to 12.5 lakh properties in the 73 ULBs that have been satellite mapped and geo-tagged recently with the help of ISRO-National Remote Sensing Centre.

Karimnagar topped the list of maximum properties without any measurements at 1,484 followed by Adilabad (1,127), Khammam (960), Nizamabad (881), Tandur (748), Sangareddy (629), Palwancha (469) and Korutla (433).

Among municipalities with zero tax properties are Wanaparthy (324), Khammam (256), Zaheerabad (137) and Palwancha (126).

Third-party audits

Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao had earlier asked the department to have third party independent audits on the functioning of the Urban Local Bodies and the Institute of Public Auditors has been poring through the records to check for fault lines to be corrected.

Already, about 16,800 properties not even in tax assessments have been identified and notices served, senior officials said.

Municipal commissioners concerned have now been instructed to ensure revenue inspectors are sent onto the field for physical verification of the properties listed in the above mentioned categories, take correct measurements, calculate the tax amount to be paid and update the same in the online tax module, as per orders by Commissioner & Director of Municipal Administration T.K. Sreedevi.

BMC can’t collect advertisement tax for hoardings on rly land: HC

Monday, 25 December 2017 00:00 administrator

The Times of India 28.12.2017

BMC can’t collect advertisement tax for hoardings on rly land: HC

TNN | Updated: Dec 25, 2017, 04:02 IST

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court has directed the Indian Railways to formulate a policy for putting up hoardings on its properties that takes into consideration the safety of the public.
A division bench of Justice Bhushan Gavai and Justice Sandeep Shinde passed the orders while thwarting a bid by the BMC to collect "advertisement tax" for the hoardings that are put up on railway land but face public roads.

There are 225 such hoardings on lands owned by Central Railways and 240 on lands owned by Western Railways that reportedly earn over Rs 60 crore revenue annually. The court held that BMC permission was not needed for the hoardings on railway land and neither could the corporation collect a "fee" from the hoarding owners. The bench, however, expressed concern over the haphazard manner in which hoardings are put up.

"We are of the considered view that erection of hoardings in haphazard manner thereby endangering the safety of citizens would not be in the larger public interest," said the division bench. It gave the railways six months to come up with a policy "for regulating the hoardings on the railway properties, after taking into consideration various statutory provisions, so as to ensure that the hoardings are not erected in haphazard manner, that there is no overcrowding of the hoardings and that the safety of citizens is not endangered." The judges said they would appreciate it if the railways involved the BMC while framing a policy for the city.

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BMC are real beggarsHenry DeSouza

The high court, in 2001, in a PIL about illegal hoardings, directed the municipal corporation to formulate policy guidelines for grant of permission for display of sky-signs and advertisements. Between 2008 and 2010, various directions were passed by the high court on the issue. In 2014, the commissioner asked the railways not to put up hoardings on railway properties which are visible from a public road without first obtaining permission. The BMC's demand for a fee for such hoardings was challenged by the railways as well as hoarding owners.

Additional solicitor general Anil Singh, counsel for the railways, cited the provisions of the Railway Act. Singh said that the power to construct on its land, including putting up of structures for displaying hoarding, was exclusively with the Railways. The advocate further contended that the Railways was not liable to pay any tax on such advertisements unless the Centre issues a notification. "Charges which are sought to be recovered by the corporation are nothing but compulsory exaction of money without rendering any services," said Singh.

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