More than 78,000 Bengaluru property owners are fretting as the state government dithers over Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s stated permission to waive penalty and interest on property tax wrongly imposed. In February-March, it served system-generated notices to property owners on charges of paying tax less than due for four assessment years from 2016-17 to 2019-20. Alleging that owners had selected the wrong zone, the agency inflicted twice the difference amount as a penalty and 24% interest per annum. The BBMP revealed that the notices were wrongfully issued as it hadn’t notified them about zonal reclassification on which new prices were fixed. It offered a waiver of penalty and interest components and sent it to the government on August 11. Rakesh Singh, the additional chief secretary of the urban development department, told the media that they have asked for clarifications. They would send the final version to the chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who will take the decision. According to the self-assessment scheme designed in 2000, properties are grouped under six zones based on guidance value (minimum selling price fixed by the government) of the locality or street, and the tax rate is fixed accordingly. While Zone A draws the highest rate, Zone F attracts the lowest. In case an owner selects a lower zone wrongly, they have to pay twice the difference amount and interest. The rules mandate that BBMP reclassifies zones once in three years based on revised rental value and guidance value. It was last done in 2016-17 but was not informed to the taxpayers. While notices have been sent to 22,000 property owners, BBMP has obtained more than Rs 16 crore. BBMP is thinking over a refund, with owners crying foul. M Venkatachalapathy, joint commissioner (revenue), BBMP, told the media that the sum could be adjusted with a future tax liability if the government agrees. Rules do not allow it, and officials said that it might bring audit objections. The issue might figure in the monsoon session of the legislature commencing Monday with Congress members all set to raise it in both assembly and council. Image Source Also read: Karnataka government proposes to slash guidance value of properties