Blurb: Plan aims to ease taxpayer burden and improve revenue collection for city authorities.
CH NEWS
BENGALURU
The Fifth State Finance Commission of the Government of Karnataka has proposed introducing a monthly EMI facility for property tax payments in Bengaluru to make compliance easier for taxpayers and improve civic revenue collection.
The recommendation, tabled in the Karnataka Assembly, suggests allowing property owners to pay their annual taxes in monthly instalments rather than a single lump sum. At present, residents under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) do not have such an option and often rely on bank EMI facilities through credit cards or online payment systems.
The commission noted that spreading tax payments across the year could help residents manage finances better while ensuring steady revenue inflow for civic bodies. To encourage timely payment, it also recommended incentives such as the five per cent rebate previously offered by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for early tax payment.
The report also called for periodic amnesty schemes that would allow property owners to voluntarily disclose unassessed buildings without facing heavy penalties. Officials believe such measures could significantly expand the tax base in the city.
Bengaluru currently has around 20.5 lakh properties, but nearly five lakh remain outside the tax net. According to the commission, identifying and bringing these properties into the system could generate an additional ₹700 crore to ₹1,000 crore annually for the five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority.
To strengthen enforcement, the report recommended door-to-door surveys and the integration of property records with GIS-based e-khata systems. Drone surveys are already being carried out in several zones to detect unassessed structures and identify property modifications that may affect tax calculations.
Authorities have also been advised to cross-check property tax records with electricity connections from BESCOM and building licence databases to ensure accurate assessments.
If implemented, the monthly EMI system could modernise property tax administration in Bengaluru while stabilising civic finances and supporting growing infrastructure needs across the rapidly expanding city.
