The Greater Chennai Corporation has successfully collected 910 crore in property tax during the first half of the 2025–26 financial year, falling short of the 1,100 crore target established for the period from April to September. Officials from the civic body have indicated that they will enhance their collection efforts to meet this target. The Corporation is providing various online and offline payment methods and is sending reminders to defaulters to improve compliance.
In previous years, the civic body organized special camps for property tax collection. However, this year, no such camps were conducted, as taxpayers are increasingly choosing online payment options.
Officials noted that the use of digital reminders and more accessible payment methods has led to increased collections in recent years. “We are optimistic about reaching the target within the next two days. We are compiling a list of defaulters that includes both the previous financial year and the current half-year, which will be pursued by revenue officials on a zone-wise basis,” stated K Magesh, the city revenue officer of GCC.
GCC has been utilizing WhatsApp to send reminders with QR codes for immediate payments since April. “This initiative has contributed to improved collections. We aim to ensure that property owners pay without incurring penalties. Taxpayers are also reminded through pamphlets and advertisements in newspapers,” he added.
In addition, 143 crore was collected in professional tax. Recently, GCC has broadened the QR code payment option for commercial tax. A universal QR code has been installed in shopping complexes, while individual commercial establishments have been assigned separate codes. This arrangement minimizes direct interaction, allowing taxpayers to make payments and receive acknowledgments more efficiently.
In FY 2024-25, many taxpayers opted for early payment to benefit from the incentives, especially in the second half, from Oct to March. The civic body collected the highest property tax, exceeding 2,000 crore.
