Building tax defaulters facing the heat

KOCHI: The Kochi Corporation will launch revenue recovery proceedings,   including attachment, against the buildings included in the tax defaulters’ list. The Corporation had already served notices to those buildings. The civic body has given the building owners a 15-day time to pay the tax dues. As many as 159 buildings, including  hospitals, hotels and commercial establishments on MG Road and Edappally Bypass, have been included in the list.“We have given a 15-day’s time for the building owners to respond to the notice. If they fail to come up with a satisfactory explanation or pay the arrears within the stipulated time, the Revenue Department will initiate the recovery procedures, including attachment of the property,” said an official  with the Kochi Corporation Revenue Department. In its assessment, the Corporation had found out that the majority of the  buildings have made alterations in their building plan by deviating from the approved ones. Some of them have added extra floors to the building and  converted parking spaces into commercial ones.The Corporation officials said the second phase of the tax collection drive would be launched by February first week. “Usually tax collection drive is launched two months prior to the end of the financial year. Special counters will be opened at all the zonal offices of the corporation where public can pay the tax. Apart from that, we are planning to set up a counter each for three to four divisions. Introducing counters for divisions will ensure the active involvement of all the councillors in the tax collection drive,” the official added.The tax collection drive launched by the Corporation last year had helped it in augmenting the revenue by `43 crore. By launching the second phase in February, the civic body is planning to garner a total of `100 crore between March 2011 and March 2012. The Revenue Department has also initiated the steps for distributing the   forms for self-assessment of property tax. Under the self-assessment system, the tax payer will be issued a form in which all taxable income on his or her property is written, including the tax they owe, which is to be returned (usually with the payment as well). Those who have tax arrears will have to clear it before filing the new self-assessment form.