Sat Jan 11 16:35:23 UTC 2025: ## Bengaluru Property Owners Offered Amnesty on Underpaid Taxes

**Bengaluru, January 12, 2025** – The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has announced a voluntary tax revision scheme for property owners who have under-assessed their properties and consequently paid less tax. This follows a second amendment to the BBMP Act, 2024, granting property owners the ability to self-revise their tax assessments.

Previously, tax revisions were solely conducted by the BBMP. Now, owners can voluntarily increase their tax payments, though a 9% annual interest and penalty will be applied to outstanding dues. This amendment, added to Section 144 of the BBMP Act, aims to encourage citizen participation in ensuring accurate tax payments.

A senior BBMP official stated that this initiative offers a chance for property owners to rectify underpayments. However, the success of this new provision is questioned, considering the limited success of the previous One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme, which saw only 50% of the 3.95 lakh defaulters participating. The OTS scheme, running from February to November 2024, has now been formalized through legislation.

The BBMP hopes this new provision will encourage more timely and accurate tax payments, preventing the need for the civic body to conduct revisions, which would result in increased interest charges. One resident, who did not utilize the OTS, expressed his intention to use this new provision to avoid potential future complications.

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