Kolkata Municipal Corporation sees spike in taxpayers, brings 20,000 more properties under tax net

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has expanded its property tax base this financial year, bringing around 20,000 additional properties under the prescribed tax structure while maintaining steady growth in collections.

According to the Budget statement, property tax remains the principal source of revenue for KMC. The total property tax collection in the financial year 2024-25 stood at Rs 1,260 crore. As of December 31, 2025, KMC has already collected Rs 1,042 crore, which is over 82 per cent of last year’s total collection. By December 31 of the previous financial year, collections had reached Rs 1,009 crore.

The number of assessed taxpayers has increased from 9,80,033 in the previous financial year to 9,99,631 in the current financial year till December 31, indicating that nearly 20,000 more properties have been brought under assessment and included within the formal tax framework.

Assessment parameters such as categorisation of blocks, base unit area value (BUAV), and multiplicative factors relating to property use, occupancy and age are reviewed by the Municipal Valuation Committee (MVC), formed to examine and update these components periodically. The Unit Area Assessment (UAA) system, introduced with effect from April 1, 2017, marked a structural shift in property tax assessment, with various parameters undergoing review after five years in 2022-23.

The civic body has introduced e-KMC 2.0 with simplified application features, replacing the old computer system. Practical implementation has been carried forward this year. Inspection books, considered important departmental records, are being digitised to preserve information and expedite work.

Registration of contract properties has resumed after a long delay, with the Taxation and Collection Department extending assistance to the Contract Office for necessary on-site inspections. In 138 cases, financially weak citizens received relief following hearings before the committee in charge.

The department also participated in ‘Duare Municipal Services’ camps conducted by KMC to assist taxpayers and ensure wider outreach.