Sir,

Paying property tax should be made online with necessary guidelines. These guidelines are a necessity as our tax system is very complex as seen in MCC’s manual tax form used till now.

Since the various tax parts in the system are set by the Government, it could be easily programmable with the basic inputs in place such as sq.mts, material for floor and walls, rental or own use, type of structure. But the bureaucrats for reasons known to themselves do not make it simple.

If Income Tax can be done online, why not House Tax which is simpler than I-T?

Today, City Corporations have become redundant to the citizens. They have become behemoths for politicians to get positions and for unscientific and unreasonable fleecing in the name of tax to cater for the political needs.

The case of CR (Completion Report) is a classic example. Issuing CR has been stopped since ages as either the cabinet or the political powers do not want to curb the illegal construction. By keeping CR in abeyance, the political fraternity of all hues bank on flexibility of regularising blatant violations.

To counter the loss in tax due to non-issuance of CR, these Corporations are verbally asking the building owners to cough up double tax on such structures or face huge interest on the CR-less part of the building. Why and on what terms should a house owner pay double tax? How will it be later adjusted? These cannot be termed as policy-making. This is plain embezzlement.

Till today three Governments have changed in Karnataka but this policy has not been put in place. Will the coalition Government please take note and make good this anomaly along with the online tax payment ?

– Charles Davison, Mysuru, 9.4.2019

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