The Local Self-Governments department has amended an earlier order directing ex-service persons or widows of ex-service persons to submit affidavits annually to get property tax exemption, following several complaints that many lost out on the benefit due to the rule. As per the amendment, they need to resubmit applications only once in five years.
As per an order issued in May 2017, the requirement for ex-service persons or widows of ex-service persons to submit fresh applications annually was done away with. Instead, they were asked to submit an affidavit relating to the individual’s claim for exemption of property tax before March 31 every year. However, the government has been getting several complaints that applications of deserving beneficiaries have been rejected by many local bodies, citing delays of a few days or a week causing much difficulty to the ex-service persons and their families. Ex-service persons have been raising the issue in various forums.
The LSGD Principal Director as well as the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Secretary had also raised the issue regarding the time limit in separate letters. The amendment order issued last week says the condition that an affidavit or application needs to be submitted annually for claiming property tax exemption has been removed, replacing it with a requirement to submit an application every five years. Property tax exemption is applicable only for the house in which the applicant is currently residing in.
Life certificate
The applicants need to submit a life certificate and an affidavit that they will inform the civic authority on time about change of ownership or usage of the house for which the claim is made, failing which they are liable to pay a fine equivalent to double the building tax. The 2017 order says that the local bodies have to maintain a separate register for the ex-service persons or widows who deserve the exemption and timely updates on the status of each has to be made in this.
The building tax exemptions are applicable for beneficiaries staying in houses up to 2,000 sq ft in area. In case of houses of more than 2,000 sq ft, only the tax for the additional area is levied.
