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The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has suspended its revised property tax assessments for properties identified as under-assessed, following complaints from residents over higher-than-expected tax demands. The decision, announced on Thursday, restores the tax payable for affected properties to the amount applicable before the revision. The exercise was undertaken to correct assessments where property details did not match the corporation’s records. Taxpayers who have already paid the revised amount will not receive an immediate refund; instead, the excess payment will be adjusted against their property tax dues for subsequent half-years.
The Greater Chennai Corporation has suspended its revised property tax assessment exercise with immediate effect after receiving several petitions from residents seeking reconsideration of higher tax demands issued to properties classified as under-assessed, with the decision announced on Thursday in Chennai following widespread public complaints.
The civic body said the revised assessments had been initiated for properties where the existing tax assessment was found to be lower than the applicable assessment. The exercise was intended to correct discrepancies in property records rather than introduce a citywide increase in property tax rates. Recent reports noted that revised notices had been issued to around 3.5 lakh properties, although the corporation maintained that there had been no blanket increase in tax rates.
Following the revision exercise, several property owners received demands substantially higher than their previous tax bills. The notices prompted complaints and petitions from residents, who sought reconsideration of the revised assessments. The corporation subsequently reviewed the representations and decided to put the exercise on hold.
GCC Commissioner G S Sameeran said the corporation had examined the representations received from the public and decided to suspend the tax revision. Consequently, property tax for the affected assessments would be restored to the amount that was in force before the revision.
The reassessment process had involved identifying properties whose recorded assessment did not correspond with the applicable assessment. The corporation has previously stated that under-assessed or unassessed properties can be subject to property tax revisions under the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, including recovery of tax for previous half-years in accordance with the applicable provisions.
For property owners who have already paid the revised tax demand, GCC said the excess amount would be adjusted as an advance payment against their property tax dues for subsequent half-years. This means taxpayers who have paid the higher assessment will have the additional amount carried forward rather than refunded immediately.
The development follows an earlier clarification by the corporation that the revised demands should not be construed as a citywide property tax hike. According to the clarification, higher demands in individual cases could arise from corrections to property details or assessments rather than an increase in the applicable tax rates. Property owners disputing an assessment can submit objections with supporting documents to the concerned revenue authorities for review.
The suspension brings the current reassessment exercise to a halt, while the corporation’s decision to restore previous tax amounts applies to the affected assessments. The move also comes amid the civic body’s broader efforts to improve property tax collection, with GCC having collected INR 103.03 crore in pending and current dues during a special 14-day collection drive in July.
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