Pmc’s Self-occupancy Declaration For Property Tax Discount Finds Few Takers, ET RealEstate
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PUNE: The civic body’s directive for citizens to declare self-occupancy to avail 40% discount on property tax bill has elicited a poor response.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had expected a response from at least 4.5 lakh residents but has received only around 40,000 over the last two months. The declaration of self-occupancy was aimed to ensure that property owners staying in the property do not have to pay high taxes.
“We have appealed to property taxpayers to complete the process. The owners, who have been urged to fill out the forms, should do so before the deadline,” Ajit Deshmukh, head of PMC’s property tax department, said.
According to the PMC, property owners have to submit a PT3 form, no objection certificate from the society saying that the owner is occupying the property (if it is a society), ID proof, and a property tax bill of any other property, if it is located under PMC limits and is owned by the same property taxpayer.
The civic body, this year, issued property tax bills on May 15 as against April 1 every year as it had to reprint the bills following the state government’s decision to re-introduce a 40% rebate for self-occupied properties.
The discount was started in 1970 but was not notified as an Act by any government. Hence, it was discontinued in 2019 after the Union government’s auditor declared it illegal.
In 2021 and 2022, the PMC started recovering the discount amount as arrears from property taxpayers. However, after strong opposition from citizens, the move was withdrawn, while the state Cabinet, earlier this year, re-introduced the rebate.
However, residents of self-occupied properties allege that the civic body has been urging them to pay arrears even after they had paid taxes regularly.
“The civic administration should have a system in place to cross-verify self-occupied properties. Citizens should not face any hassles of filling out forms and submitting them to local ward offices,” Ganesh Shinde, a resident of Erandwane, toldTOI.
Civic officials claim that self-occupying property taxpayers have been given an option not to pay arrears.
“However, PMC asked them to submit the declaration. Many citizens have just paid less tax and avoided filling the forms,” a senior PMC official said on the condition of anonymity.