120 firms told to pay advertisement tax

Strap: MC takes a note of third party advertisements in city

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 13

The advertisement wing of the Municipal Corporation issued notices to 120 top commercial firms to pay tax for third party advertisements, which they haven’t deposited for the past several years in the city.

The officials of the advertisement wing claimed that several prominent jewellers, garment showroom owners and food shops were displaying advertisements but not paying tax to MC.

The advertisement wing of MC prepared a list of the commercial establishments and issued notice to 120 firms to pay their pending tax.

Sushant Bhatia, in-charge, advertisement wing said, “The commercial establishments in the city are not paying tax for displaying the advertisements in the city. We have identified the brands and stores, which are displaying advertisements. The notices have been issued and tax would be collected. Only a few of them responded on our notices.”

Earlier, the officials of the MC had written to six shopping mall owners in the city to provide information on third party advertisements being displayed on their premises. The MC advertisement wing is taking note of the third party advertisements in which some private firms display advertisements of any other brand or company on their property. Though there was a provision of collecting tax for such advertisements earlier too, the civic body had not been collecting it.

Meanwhile, the wing officials removed several illegal hoardings and third party media from various locations of the city, following the anti-defacement drive.