Plan afoot to bring 24 UCs under tax net

RAWALPINDI:

In the new local government system, a plan has been prepared to bring 24 rural densely populated union councils (UCs) of Rawalpindi district under the tax net.

After that, these union councils will be declared urban ones. Sources said that property, professional, water, sewage and board taxes will be collected from these union councils.

It has also been decided to declare 20 major roads of these union councils as commercial ones. All economic activities on these roads will also be brought under the commercial tax.

Meanwhile, the excise and taxation and narcotics control department has started a new survey in the Rawalpindi division to increase the property tax revenue.

The survey will examine all the houses which are being used for commercial activities such as shops, beauty parlours, warehouses, tailor shops.

Read 24 rural UCs to be added to RMC

The Punjab government has waived property tax on houses of up to 5-marla.

However, under the new plan, all the five-marla houses which have been partially and completely rented out or have one or two shops built in them, where beauty salons are being run or houses where mini-factories and warehouses have been set up will be declared commercial and will be included under the tax net.

The new houses, shops and plazas which have been constructed throughout the division during the last five years will also be brought under the tax net.