Srinagar
The Indian government has amended two municipal laws of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir to empower administration to levy and collect property tax.
The amendments, carried out in Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Act-2000 and Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act-2000, property tax shall be levied on all lands and buildings or vacant lands or both situated within the municipal area.
“Unless exempted under this Act or any other law for the time being in force, property tax shall be levied on all lands and buildings or vacant lands or both situated within the municipal area,” reads the amendments made in the laws.
According to these amendments the property tax shall be levied at such percentage not exceeding fifteen per cent of the taxable annual value of land and building or vacant land or both, as the authorities may, by notification, from time to time specify.
These laws also empower the authorities to exempt certain classes or categories of persons or lands and buildings, or vacant lands or both from the payment of the property tax. They also define methodology for determination of property tax.—KMS
