The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Fresh draft notice for new property tax assessment

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 28, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Fresh draft notice for new property tax assessment

GHMC to rescind notification issued earlier

Earlier draft notification needs “corrections”
It might be a big task due to paucity of time

HYDERABAD: It is back to square one for GHMC with regard to its move to revise property tax for non-residential establishments. Instead of issuing a final notification for the new system of assessment of property tax on non-residential buildings, it has decided to rescind the draft notification itself!

Apparently, officials have discovered that the earlier draft released on October 1 needs “corrections”.

Hence, nearly three months after the first draft notification, another notification is getting ready to be released for another round of public debate.

Official sources said the need for “corrections” was realised when they got into the nitty-gritty of assessing the proposed new tax structure. The procedure now is to call for a fresh round of objections and suggestions once the new draft notification is issued in a few days.

It could take up to 15 days from the date of notification following which the final notification will be issued.

Only then special demand notices will be sent to the taxpayer.

It might take a good part of next month leaving the civic body just two months to mop up tax collections as the deadline is March 31.

The GHMC had set itself an ambitious target of more than Rs. 350 crore for the current financial year.

It might be a big task now due to paucity of time because even after special demand notices are issued detailing the old and new rates, complaints will be entertained at the Deputy Commissioner level.

The government’s fiat of allowing a hike of 50 per cent from the prevailing tax rates may also hit the collections even if the non-residential properties constitute only 15 per cent of the total properties.

However, a senior official said: “Our objective is to first put a proper tax collection system in place without giving scope for any complaint rather than figures.”

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