Tax dues: KMC issues ‘15-day notice’ to defaulters, warns of legal action

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has pulled up its socks to mop up pending amusement tax from bars, restaurants and community halls in the city.

The amusement department of the civic body has started sending notices to all such defaulters with a 15-day time frame for coughing up due tax and stating that legal action will be initiated for non-payment.

On November 13, Mayor Firhad Hakim chaired a meeting at KMC headquarters and directed all concerned departments associated with revenue collection to work out means for its augmentation. According to sources, the Amusement department has prepared a borough-wise list of such defaulters and has started sending notices. According to sources, the Amusement department of KMC had collected Rs 15 crore as revenue last year, though the target was much higher.

Hence, the department has geared up for mopping up pending taxes.

The number of such establishments from where the civic body collects amusement tax has increased so the KMC expects higher earnings in this area. Notices have already been sent to such establishments in central and south Kolkata.

“We have found that in some cases, the pending amusement tax is quite high even though there has been brisk business. The tendency of evading the amusement tax is not desirable,” said a senior official of KMC. Amusement Department issues permission under section 422 read with Sec.543 (2) of the KMC Act 1980 to amusement-related activities that include theatres, cinema halls, circuses, fairs, fetes, exhibitions, dancing halls, carnivals, cyber cafes, cable TV operators, restaurants with amusement facilities, clubs & similar public resorts.

An Amusement fee is a license fee that must be paid prior to commencing business operations. The Parking department has also started drives against illegal night parking to boost revenue collection.