The BBMP has decided to freeze the zonal classification on its online property tax platform, intending to plug the hole that made 70,000 property owners wrongly enter their zonal details last year.
The belated decision, made 21 days after the new financial year has begun, may spell fresh trouble for owners who filed their returns without knowing that their zones have moved upward. The six zonal classifications, made from A to F, is a vital factor in computing property tax.
For the last five years, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had kept open the option to decide the zones. This resulted in many property owners entering wrong zonal classifications causing leakage in tax revenue.
Since the option allowed misuse, the BBMP on Thursday decided to auto-populate and freeze the zone based on street codes. The civic body stated streets and areas have been classified into zones in accordance with gazette notifications published in 2008 and 2016.
In a press statement, BBMP Special Commissioner Dr Deepak R L said properties which declared tax under wrong zonal classification will be moved to the correct zones. Properties that wrongly declared the zone will be automatically redirected to Form V for tax calculation. Similarly, changes on occupancy, usage, and addition or deletion in structure will be done through Form V.
Zonal classifications of new properties created by assistant revenue officers will also be auto-populated.
“In case there is no change in the zone, occupancy, and usage, etc, the property tax would remain the same and the same would be done through Form-IV,” the note states.
BBMP's silence continues
The press release is curiously silent about property owners who already paid taxes without knowing their zones have moved up.
While civic authorities last year penalised 78,000 property owners for entering wrong details, particularly the zone, does not offer provisions to pay the differential amount.
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