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Government relieve the public from the issue of paying penalty for delayed Property Tax payment?
Posted on: 15/Oct/2020 1:13:24 PM
The Greater Chennai Corporation had announced, while giving due consideration to the prevailing lockdown situation and the loss of any earnings, that a 2% penalty will be imposed on those who pay the Property Tax after 15th October (Thursday, today).
In response, the public has now appealed that they must be given exemption from this penalty payment.
The Greater Chennai Corporation administration has been collecting Property Tax, Professional Tax, Factory Tax, and the charges for the licence for operation of industries mainly to serve as a source for the huge expenditures on the essential pubic requirements of street/road, medical treatment, and cleaning operations.
Out of the above-mentioned taxes, Property Tax is considered to be the most important tax. As per the Chennai Corporation Municipal aw-1919, Section-104, the property owners need to pay the Property Tax for the 1st half of the year between 1st April to 15th April and the Property Tax for the 2nd half of the year between 1st October to 15th October.
With a proposal to encourage the Property Tax Payers who pay promptly, a revision has been made in the above Act: for that property owner who pays Property Tax for the 2nd half of the year between 1st & 15th October, a concession of 5% of the Tax or a maximum of Rs. 5000 (except Education Tax and Library Toll) will be offered.
Another revision carried out in the above-mentioned Act is that for those property owners who fail to pay the Property Tax within the stipulated time period, a penalty of 2% per year will be charged in addition to the Property Tax.
Giving due consideration to the prevailing situation of lockdown imposition as a preventive measure against the raging coronavirus pandemic and the resultant loss of jobs and the subsequent loss of income/earnings, the public has appealed that an exemption must be given from the payment of a penalty for those who pay the Property Tax after the stipulated period of 15th October,
In this regard, the Secretary of the Public Awareness Centre at Nanganallur, Rama Rao shared:
"Most of the house owners in the Chennai Metro City have owned their houses/flats only by taking housing loans from the banks. Due to the prevailing lockdown imposition and the subsequent loss of job/work, there has been no income for them and they are managing their household expenses and the EMIs for the loans taken either by taking loans besides or from their savings!
Presently, it is a welcome act that a 5% payment is offered as an incentive is given for those who pay Property Tax on time! However, the other issue of charging a 2% penalty for those who fail to pay Property Tax within the deadline will impose additional hardship on the pubic who are already devoid of their monthly incomes! Giving due deserving consideration to this important aspect, the government must exempt this 2% penalty charge!"
The GCC Revenue Officials responded to this:
"Greater Chennai Corporation has been spending very huge amounts on the prevention activities against the spread of the raging coronavirus pandemic. Even in this difficult situation, considering that the public must not be additionally burdened, a 5% incentive has been offered foror those who pay Property Tax within time! In this scenario, only the State Government of Tamil Nadu has to decide on this issue!"
An Incentive of Rs. 4.56 Crores
Greater Chennai Corporation K. Prakash shared further on this issue: "It had been announced earlier that an incentive of 5% will be offered for those who pay the Property Tax within the stipulated time between 1st October and 15th October. Accordingly, 518286 property-owning citizens have paid their Property Tax in the period from 1st October to 10th October so far. They have been offered an incentive amount - a total of Rs. 4.56 Crores!"
