Kolkata Municipal Corporation reduces property tax for assessees with financial woes
Kolkata: Despite reeling under fund crunch, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to reduce the property tax amount of certain applicants who prayed for relief citing poor financial condition as the reason for not being able to pay up the due amount of such taxes.
It was learnt that the hardship removal committee (HRC) of the civic body received about 24 applications praying for relief. Out of this, the committee recommended 13 applications for consideration towards providing relief to the taxpayers concerned.
According to KMC, if this proposal is approved there shall be some “financial implication” due to a reduction in property tax in respect of assessees whose cases were taken up for consideration by the HRC.
One such case involves a non-government organisation Centre for Pedagogical Studies in Mathematics (CPSM). In this case, the Governor of West Bengal is the lessor while the CPSM is the lessor.
The total amount of pending taxes the organisation had to pay was Rs 81,257. However, it prayed for financial relief citing hardship caused especially during the Covid-19 period. KMC subsequently conducted an inspection and the final bill after assessment stood at Rs 78,673.
Their prayer for relief was endorsed by the deputy mayor Atin Ghosh upon recommendation of the Borough XII chairman. The committee decided that the applicants would pay Rs 40,000 as full and final settlement.
In another case, Press Club Kolkata is learnt to have prayed for tax relief for its property at Rajdanga Chakraborty Para. The property is a vacant land measuring 3.5 cottah. The outstanding amount of property tax is Rs 70,385. The reason cited was financial hardship and that it is a voluntary and non-profitable organization dependent upon donations and subscriptions.
This request too was endorsed by the deputy mayor. It was decided that the applicant pay up Rs 10,000 as a full and final settlement against the entire unpaid
bills generated.
