State offers olive branch to property tax defaulters

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 12

The state government has offered a one-time settlement of property tax with a 10 per cent rebate under the e-governance project.

The defaulters, who had failed to deposit their house tax or property tax, can get a 10 per cent rebate on the principal amount. The residents have to deposit the pending tax within a period of three months till February 26.

The government will not charge penalty and interest from the tax payers. The 10 per cent rebate will also be applicable for the current financial year as well.

Moreover, if persons still fail to deposit the due amount till February 26, they will be liable to pay a penalty at a rate of 10 per cent on the amount. If they fail again to pay till May 26, they will have to pay the penalty at a rate of 20 per cent on the amount along with interest at a rate of 18 per cent from the due date.

Though he Local Bodies Department has offered a special concession on the timely payment of tax, 40 per cent of people do not care to pay it. Now again, the department has come up with a special scheme for the defaulters to clear their outstanding tax.

A large number of property owners have never paid the property tax in the city. The government had implemented the property tax in 2013. According to MC records, the city has 95,429 commercial and residential units. But the property tax is implemented on only 47,975 units.

Of the total 53,871 residential units, as many as 22,235 units are non-taxable as residential plots measuring less than 125 sq feet are exempted from property tax by the state government. Similarly, the city has 15,818 commercial units. Moreover, it has 24,000 vacant and even 1,673 units are offices which are under the non-taxable category.

To give residents a relief in filing the property tax, the MC had made various changes in the property tax form. Earlier, people had to file a separate form for each year. Now, residents will be able to file the tax of past five years in one form. Moreover, they will be able to take back that form as the MC will scan and update its records online. Besides, if anyone lost his or her form, a copy of the form can be received by filing the UID number.

The concerned person will be fully responsible for filing the information in the form.

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