Rebate on tax yields good results in Guntur

Guntur: The five per cent rebate offered for advance tax payment is yielding good results to the Guntur Municipal Corporation as the citizens are coming forward to pay advance tax. The GMC received Rs 5.54 crore property tax as advance tax and hoping for the collection of more advance tax in the coming days. The public are urging the GMC to concentrate on Guntur city development besi-des advance tax collection.

The GMC announced 5 per cent rebate to advance tax payers from April 1 to 30. The GMC officials have vastly campaigned about the rebate among the public. According to revenue officers V. Venkatramaiah and S. Prasad, the GMC fixed a target of Rs 13 crore and hoping to complete the target by the end of this month. The citizens having multiple properties in the city are coming forward to pay their taxes as advance to get the rebate from the corporation.

During the year 2015-16, Rs 12.21 crore was collected from the citizens in Guntur and 24,595 tax-payers benefited of Rs 61.10 lakh as rebate and net amount of Rs 11.60 crore was credited to the GMC. This year, Rs 13 crore advace tax collection target was fixed. GMC commissioner S. Nagalakshmi said that there is good response to advance tax scheme due to rebate. Tax payers Korla Srinivasa Rao, Avula Srinivasa Rao and Avula Suhasini paid Rs 7.36 lakh to the GMC. Similarly, Telugu Desam leader S. Aruna paid Rs 6.12 lakh as advance tax for her hospital Ahalya Nursing Home and Polisetty Somasundaram Group of Companies paid Rs 42.76 lakh advance tax on Friday.

Taxpayers P. Srinivas and others said that they are ready to pay taxes in advance and cooperate with the GMC, but Guntur city failing to develop despite collection of taxes. They urged  the GMC not only to concentrate on advance tax collection but develop to basic amenities for the public making good use of their taxes.