Ghaziabad hikes house tax by 10%; bills to come by end of April

The municipal corporation estimates that revenue will increase by approximately 50 crore due to the increase in house tax. Nearly 661,000 households in Ghaziabad, who will get their house tax bills for 2023-24 by the end of April, will get a higher invoice than last year because the Ghaziabad municipal corporation has raised the house tax by 10%.

“The new house tax bills will be sent to households by the end of April, and the tax will be raised by 10% due to a decision made by the board earlier this year during its meeting on January 7. As a result, the new properties will generate additional revenue, and final figures will be available soon. We estimate that revenue will increase by approximately 50 crore,” said Nitin Gaur, municipal commissioner.However, officials said the increase in revenue wouldn’t just come from the higher property tax but from the fact that more households will be taxed this year.

Officials said that till the end of the last fiscal year, they oversaw as many as 450,000 households. After a survey with a geographic information system (GIS) and a physical check of properties last year, another 200,000 homes came under their taxation.House tax revenue was estimated to be around 175 crore in 2021-22 and 207 crore in 2022-23, according to data.

House tax on properties is calculated based on the carpet area of the property and per square foot of annual rental values (ARVs). According to officials, ARV for various colonies ranges from 0.60 paise per square foot to 1.9 per square foot. ARVs will be increased by 10%, which will increase the tax amount, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The Ghaziabad municipal corporation has 100 residential wards under its jurisdiction and issues tax bills to residents who must pay them. If residents are dissatisfied with the bills the civic agency raises, they can self-assess their taxes and submit them online through the corporation’s website.“Households that have not paid their taxes in 2022-23 or earlier will be required to pay the tax with a penalty of 12% interest. The corporation allows a rebate for early tax payment but not for late payments,” said Sanjeev Sinha, the corporation’s chief tax assessment officer. The current term of the Ghaziabad municipal corporation ended on January 22, and civic elections are expected to be held sometime in May.

Meanwhile, outgoing councillors said that if the corporation expects to increase revenue this year, better services must be provided. “The civic body should prioritise cleaning the sewer network, drainage, and solid waste sites in a timely manner. The services still lack a professional attitude, and residents must work hard to solve their issues,” said Rajendra Tyagi, outgoing Raj Nagar councillor.