KMC mulls separate tax bills for owner and the tenant

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is considering issuing separate tax bills in the name of the owner and the tenants of a particular building expecting that the move will reduce the tax burden on the owner.

“It is true that when a new tenant checks in at a particular building after the previous tenant vacates it, the property tax is levied at the current rate and hence the tax burden on the owner increases. Earlier, there was a system of issuing separate tax bills for the owner and the occupier. We are considering a proposal to revert to the old system which will reduce the tax burden on the owner,“ said Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim after the Talk to Mayor programme at KMC on Saturday.

According to a senior KMC official of the Building department, in the case of buildings, particularly when there is a dispute between two brothers who are joint owners of that particular building, taxes have remained unpaid for a long time. “In such cases, separate bills for the owner and the tenants are suggested,” the official added.

The Mayor expressed dissatisfaction over two complaints of illegal construction at the Talk to Mayor programme from Ward 89 of KMC. He directed the DG (Director General) Building who was present during the programme to seek the logbook from the concerned borough. “When such complaints are coming from a particular ward, it can be presumed that the log book is not maintained properly and your order is being flouted. If required, suspend the concerned official. You need to be active and cannot turn a blind eye to such illegal construction,” the Mayor said to DG Building.