The announcement of a 5% rebate in property tax if taxes — both residential and commercial — are paid during the month coupled with multiple facilities like online payment or through banks and directly in zone offices, has helped civic agencies collect record tax in two weeks.
In the last two and half weeks, although there were extended weekends and festival holidays, Mysuru City Corporation collected Rs 21 crore in taxes — more than nearly 40% — mostly residential. Property owners, due to the introduction of online facilities, could pay tax even during holidays.
Although online system was brought in last year, tax collections was only around 65% due to the pandemic. This year, however, authorities expect to get closer to the target of Rs 275 crore.
During the first few weeks of this financial year, MCC has collected double the tax when compared to previous year’s figures which stood around Rs 9 crore.
MCC deputy commissioner (revenue) M Dasegowda said people are coming forward to pay taxes due to the facilities that have been extended to them. “Owing to Covid, we couldn’t effectively facilitate online tax payment, but starting this fiscal, it has been made available,” he said.
“Property tax target is Rs 275 crore this year and we have achieved nearly 10% of the target in the first two weeks of the fiscal, and hope to achieve the target this year,” he said. Property tax is the single biggest revenue generator for the urban body.
Around 23,000 property owners have paid the tax at the start of the year and obtained a 5% rebate offered by the MCC, the deputy commissioner stated.
Mayor Sunanda Palanetra said trade licence tax target has been increased to Rs 8 crore against Rs 4 crore. “There is potential to increase it to Rs 10 crore by bringing in all the establishments under the tax bracket and MCC is working on it,” she said.