Corporation of Chennai - Payment of Property Tax

From June 15, 2012, you can walk into any bank branch to pay property tax. The Chennai Corporation has tied up with Indian Overseas Bank, Canara Bank, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, HDFC bank, City Union Bank, Karur Vysya Bank and Axis Bank for collecting the property taxes. You can use their net banking and ATM facilities as well to pay the tax.

Residents will have to provide their property tax number, which when keyed in by banking officials will reveal the area of the property and the money due. A receipt will also be issued immediately. Civic officials say the move is aimed at providing more avenues for tax payment, which will reduce queues at zonal offices during the last few days, and in the long run improve their tax collection. "Many people who don't have any internet connection or can't waste time standing in long queues at zonal offices will use this facility," said mayor Saidai Duraisamy.

Officials are still skeptical because the corporation has not been able to sort out issues like penalizing defaulters, a system for residents to retrieve their property tax numbers and a good server, without which even the above initiative is not likely to yield rich dividends.

In fact, in the last two years, not a single property tax defaulter has been penalized. This despite the corporation facing tax defaults to the tune of 268.74 crore last year, according to sources in the civic body. Talking during a press meet on Thursday, Duraisamy said, "We will look into that later."

Interestingly, the previous DMK-led corporation council in 2010 unanimously passed a resolution to impose a fine on owners of residential and commercial properties for defaulting on property tax payments. They were to be charged 1% for every month of delay, if you don't pay for an entire year, the fine could accumulate to 12%.