BBMP’s demand notices on tax zones trigger outcry among property owners

Sulakshana J. (name changed), a resident of Madiwala, was surprised to receive a notice from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) asking her to pay an additional ₹50,000 towards property tax.

Sulakshana J. (name changed), a resident of Madiwala, was surprised to receive a notice from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) asking her to pay an additional ₹50,000 towards property tax. “I have been paying property tax diligently every year. The notice claims there is a mismatch in the tax zone classification. The ₹50,000 includes the difference in tax, penalty, and interest for four years,” she said. Several citizens across the city have received similar notices. The notices simply state that the tax zone reclassification was done in 2016-17 and that citizens now have to pay penalty and interest for not updating the records before paying property tax under the Self-Assessment Scheme (SAS).