CHENNAI CORPN: Zonal offices to handle property tax issues

By G Saravanan

Chennai, November 10: WITHIN a couple of weeks from now, more than 70 per cent of property tax assessees of the Chennai Corporation can resolve their issues relating to assessment at the zonal offices without coming to the Ripon Building.

Further, the forms for filing property tax assessment will also be simplified leaving out the cumbersome clauses. The modalities for implementing these drastic change in the functioning of the revenue department of the City Corporation are likely to be finalised at a meeting to be chaired by the Commissioner in a day or two.

Under the existing system, every property tax assessee needs to visit Ripon Building, for issues related to property assessment, merger of buildings, and additional assessment since all final decisions are taken at the headquarters only.

As per the simplified system, assessment of property sizing below 5,000 sq ft would be done by the Assistant Revenue Officers (ARO) attached to zonal offices and a nod from the respective zonal officer is enough.

Currently, even after ARO’s assessment, the process of levying tax (after assessment) finally culminates at Revenue Officer stationed at Ripon Building.

Hereafter, final approval for assessment of property sizing between 5000 sqft and 50,000 sqft is vested with RO, while approval of assessment of above 50,000 sqft buildings would be allotted to Deputy Commissioner (Revenue and Finance).

At present, the assesses have to fill-in four forms each having four pages to file assessments - Form No.6 for new buildings, Form No.7 for additional construction, Form No.8 for sub-division and merger of buildings and Form No.9 for change of name of ownership of properties. In the coming days, all the necessary details could be filled in just four pages.