Regulation: Excise Department wants to register all vehicle dealers

Transfer orders may only be issued to registered vehicle dealers.

LAHORE:

A proposal for incentives for registered vehicle dealers has been sent to the chief minister by the Excise and Taxation Department, The Express Tribune has learnt.

An official of the Excise and Taxation Department said out of nearly 2,000 dealers in the city, only 50 were registered with the department.

He said the department had proposed to directly issue transfer orders (TOs) of vehicles to dealers registered with it. He said a database had been suggested where a registered dealer could provide information online. He said the system would facilitate vehicle dealers by reducing the time and effort it took to obtain the transfer orders. He said the registered vehicle dealers would not be required visit the department.

He said after the registration fee was paid, the vehicle would be issued a new book after verification by an officer.

Motor Registration Authority Director Imran Aslam said the proposal was aimed at rewarding dealers who were paying taxes.

He said the department also proposed to make the TO forms available at post offices so vehicle owners did not have to visit the department’s offices to collect them.

The registered dealers have to pay three types of taxes; property tax, professional tax and board tax. Property tax applies to those dealers also own the land their showrooms are built on.

Board tax is a fee for putting up signboards at showrooms.

Professional tax in the city is Rs10,000 per year for car dealers and Rs5,000 per annum for motorbike dealers.

Dealers in the outskirts of the city or villages of the province have to pay Rs5,000 for cars and Rs3,000 for motorbikes.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2014.