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Taxation

Property tax put on hold? Cong eager to claim credit

Monday, 18 March 2013 06:24 administrator
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The Indian Express                        18.03.2013

Property tax put on hold? Cong eager to claim credit

Property tax which the MC was planning to implement from April 1 this year has been put on hold for the time being, as per sources.

Sources said Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has formed a committee in Chandigarh to study the pros and cons of the move, after which the final decision will be made.

However, Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria said, "Detailed discussions were held today in Chandigarh on property tax. Most probably, the formula to assess unit value will be changed. However, I will be able to comment on exact details on Monday."

The opposition Congress is trying to garner all the praise for making the government delay and ponder again over the proposed property tax. The party protested against the tax in a MC house meeting on March 12 and budget session on March 16 (where it was not allowed to speak by Mayor), terming it ''an unwanted burden on the residents''.

Congress councillors even boycotted the meeting called by Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tewari to discuss unit value fixation of property tax a few days ago.

The latest demand of the Congress is implementation of property tax on the lines of neighbouring Haryana where unit value has been kept quite low and affordable.

New state Congress chief Pratap Singh Bajwa, in his brief meeting with the city unit of the party on Saturday at the railway station, guided them "to protest against property tax till the very end".

"We will not allow this anti-people tax to be implemented in Ludhiana or it has to be modified the way Haryana is doing it," said Pawan Dewan, district president, Congress (urban).

Congress spokesperson Parminder Mehta said, "In Haryana, the rate has been kept as Re 1 per square yard which is completely justified. Either SAD-BJP adopt such a policy or forget about the tax."

What adds to the problem of SAD is that even its alliance partner BJP spoke against the property tax in the Municipal Corporation budget session. BJP councillor Inder Aggarwal said, "I again warn SAD to think it over deeply once more so that instead of becoming a boon, it (the property tax) does not become a bane for Municipal Corporation as well as residents."

 

50 per cent of house owners yet to pay tax

Saturday, 16 March 2013 10:19 administrator
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The Times of India                      16.03.2013

50 per cent of house owners yet to pay tax

VARANASI: Not even 50 per cent of house owners in Varanasi pay their house tax to Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC). While the current financial year is about to end, VMC is lagging behind in collection of its house tax from the city. Although there are 1,75,000 houses under VMC, bills of only 1,47,000 houses are accounted at present.

According to records obtained from VMC, out of 1,47,000 houses, taxes from only 72,000 houses have been collected till March 15 pertaining to a collection Rs 15.5 crore. The remaining 75,000 houses are yet to pay the house taxes. VMC has set a target of tax collection of Rs 24 crore by March 31.

The scenario of tax collection has been the same for many years, said the additional municipal commissioner, Sachidanand Singh. "We are not able to collect even 50 percent of taxes. About Rs 17 to Rs 18 crore is collected every year through house tax," he added. The process of billing of the remaining 28,000 houses which were, so far, not accounted for billing has now started. While one mobile-tax collection centre is operating in different parts of the city to boost up the tax collection from this year, it is also given the priority till March 31 at different collection centres in five zones. "Apart from this, the door-to-door collection of house tax, by using GPS enabled spot billing machine, has further hiked the collection. Apart from giving a receipt of the payment on the spot, one copy of the receipt is also saved at VMC office once the tax is paid," he added.

According to in-charge, computer cell, VMC, Sandeep Srivastava, "the machine is also provided with five different options, which are reported to VMC office as the given response from the tax payer. The five different categories are 'tax paid', 'house was found locked', 'tax delayed', 'tax denied', and 'matter is under court's stay'. So, the reason for not paying taxes is reported to us and helps in efficient collection of taxes. A collection of Rs 1.11 crore has been made from the billing machines covering 11,124 houses by March 15."
Last Updated on Saturday, 16 March 2013 10:21
 

Diamond manufacturers, traders differ over professional tax protest

Saturday, 16 March 2013 10:01 administrator
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The Times of India                      16.03.2013

Diamond manufacturers, traders differ over professional tax protest

SURAT: A majority of diamond manufacturers from Saurashtra are unhappy over the protest by diamond traders, especially from north Gujarat in Mahidharpura diamond market, against the payment of professional tax to Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC).

Leaders of Saurashtrian Patel diamond community said all the diamond manufacturers, be it small, medium and big companies, are paying professional tax on a regular basis to the civic body. The market is passing through a tough phase and that the traders should not force the diamond markets to remain close, they opined.

Industry leaders said transactions worth crores of rupees have been affected due to the ongoing protest against professional tax. Diamond manufacturers are not getting payments from the traders due to the agitation.

Chandu Sheta, leader of small diamond manufacturers in Varachha, told TOI, "There should not be such a noise by the diamond traders over professional tax. We cannot afford to keep the industry shut, looking at the tough market conditions."

Janak Hirpara, a diamond manufacturer in Mahidharpura, said, "It is the merchants, who are opposing the professional tax payment. The income generated from professional tax is spent on infrastructure and other basic facilities in the city."

. We are contributing to the city's development by paying the taxes. I am paying around Rs 1 lakh in professional tax for employing around 80 workers in my factory."

Suresh Gabani, a diamond manufacturer in Varachha, said, "The diamond traders have less than 10 employees who do assortment of rough and polished diamonds. The payment of professional tax by them must be less, compared to diamond manufacturers."

Diamond traders said the civic body had promised not to collect professional tax after last year's agitation. But, the professional tax department swooped down on the diamond offices in Mahidharpura in the past few days and sealed more than 150 offices.

Rasik Mehta, a diamond trader, said, "We are dealing in diamonds and not manufacturing them. Hence, we are not liable to pay professional tax. The tax is applicable to the manufacturers who are employing workers to process diamonds."

An SMC official said, "Almost 50 per cent of the people connected with the diamond industry have been paying professional tax. It is only the traders who are not paying the tax. This was the reason why we have resorted to sealing the offices of diamond traders in Mahidharpura."
Last Updated on Saturday, 16 March 2013 10:07
 
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