Record property tax collection in PMC in first 2 months this fiscal; rebate deadline extended

Despite lockdown restrictions in the city over the past two months, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) registered record collection of property tax to the tune of Rs 736.12 crore in the first two months of the financial year.

The civic body on Tuesday extended the deadline for discounts in property tax till June 30 and will charge a penalty from August 1.

According to the PMC, Rs 736.12 crore property tax has been collected from 5,07,755 properties for the current financial year till May 31. The civic body had received Rs 388.24 crore property tax from 3,21,169 properties till May 31 last year

“The property tax collection in the first two months of the financial year is very high considering the lockdown situation in the city…” said a civic officer

The PMC has a budget estimate of Rs 8,370 crore and revenue target of Rs 2,650 crore from the property tax for 2021-22. Last year, the revenue target was Rs 2,603 crore but the civic body could get only Rs 1,700 crore despite launching an amnesty scheme for defaulters.

For 2021-22, the PMC declared a 15 per cent discount scheme for regular taxpayers who paid the previous year’s property tax before September 30. “A total of 4,77,843 residential properties are eligible for the 15 per cent discount in property tax this year and 3,77,703 of them have paid Rs 284.14 crore tax to the civic body so far,” said Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar

At least one lakh more properties are eligible for the 15 per cent discount. “The civic administration gave their opinion on extending the deadline for the discount in property tax till June 30. It has been approved by the standing committee,” said committee chairperson Hemant Rasane.

The extension of the deadline also means that penalty of two per cent per month on defaulters will be applied from August 1, said Vilas Kanade, in-charge of civic property tax department

At least 1,01,204 properties with 10 per cent discount and 18,634 properties with five per cent discount respectively have paid Rs 113.77 crore and Rs 316.44 crore so far for 2021-22, he said, adding, “The PMC has managed to get 39,828 defaulters back in the regular tax cycle through the amnesty scheme. They have paid the regular tax of Rs 86.5 crore for this year so far.”

The PMC has 10.81 lakh properties. The merger of 23 villages in the PMC is also going to increase the number of properties in its tax ambit in the current financial year

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/pmc-record-property-tax-two-months-financial-year-covid-restrictions-7340870/