The city of Kolkata has granted more time to transition to the new property tax system.

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) assessment department has decided to extend the deadline for switching to the new system in order to bring more taxpayers under the Unit Area Assessment (UAA) system for determining property tax.

Though the civic leadership does not want an official announcement, the tax conversion process will continue, according to a senior official with the KMC revenue department. Previously, KMC officials set a December 31 deadline for converting from a rent-based valuation to the area-wise (UAA) system and announced a 5% annual penalty for those who do not convert.

After observing a willingness among a segment of property taxpayers to accept the conversion, the KMC revenue department has decided to extend the deadline in order to accommodate lakhs of property owners into the UAA fold.

According to a civic revenue department official, while the KMC brass has decided to speed up the conversion system from time to time since 2017, the response from taxpayers had been slow until last year.

Following the response, and in a desperate attempt to increase revenue, civic leaders have implemented a two-pronged strategy.

First, KMC assessment department inspectors will personally meet with existing assesses and arrange for the conversion, as well as hold switchover camps at housing complexes. Second, a ‘forced conversion’ method will be used.

This means that whenever a flat owner or owner of a standalone building applies to the KMC assessment department for a property mutation, the civic body will automatically bring the property under the UAA valuation method.

In fact, KMC revenue department officials have directed assessment department inspectors to halt the mutation of assesses who have not applied for UAA.

“In order to issue a mutation certificate, we made the conversion to UAA mandatory. So far, this strategy has worked well for us, particularly in the added areas and some south Kolkata localities. When the civic brass decided to send the assessment dept. inspectors to homeowners and conduct a drive to bring more assets into the UAA fold, the number of assesses who were converted to UAA increased.

Inspectors “knocked on the doors of assessors in Dhakuria, Gariahat Road, Kasba, Jadavpur, Baghajatin, Netaji Nagar, Jodhpur Park, Tollygunge, Behala, and some areas off EM Bypass,” according to a KMC revenue department official.