Tax trouble for Ctg landlords
Abdullah Ashraf, a resident of the port city's Monsurabad, was surprised when he received a notice from Chattogram City Corporation tax last month to pay holding.
The six-storey building owner used to pay Tk 30,000 to CCC as the annual holding tax for years. This year, the amount has increased to Tk 1,81,000, which is six times more than last year's.
"When I asked the official concerned about the reason behind such increase, he told me it is because of the new assessment system," said Ashraf.
Abdul Haque, another building owner from Bakalia, said the CCC officials advised him to file an appeal against it.
The holding tax has not been reassessed in the past 12 years, though there is a provision to reassess it every five years.
According to sources, former CCC mayor AJM Nasir Uddin took an initiative to reassess the process of collecting holding taxes in 2017. Terming the move illogical, Kordata Surakhkha Parishad, Chattogram, a citizens' platform, started a movement to stop it.
On December 10, 2017 the LGRD ministry postponed the initiative.
The ministry has withdrawn the postponement upon a letter from the incumbent Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury last month, said CCC sources.
Against the backdrop, the platform submitted a memorandum to a total of seven CCC ward councillors on Tuesday to cancel the new assessment system. It also held a rally yesterday.
Nazrul Islam, CCC chief revenue officer, said, "We're not imposing the high tax. There is a scope for the taxpayers to appeal," he said.
Contacted, the CCC mayor said, "The holding tax has not been reassessed in the past 12 years, though there is a provision to reassess it every five years."
"There may have been some problems in the new assessment system, so we kept the provision for appeal."
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