Property registration resumes after hiatus

DC retains previous year's valuation rates, while revised taxes come into effect

RAWALPINDI:

Property registrations for residential and commercial properties have resumed across Rawalpindi Division after remaining suspended for a month.

The new deputy commissioner has retained the previous financial year's property valuation rates for 2026-27, a move welcomed by property dealers.

Property registrations in Rawalpindi city, cantonment and adjoining areas have resumed through biometric verification and the online system using the existing official rates. However, advance tax, capital gains tax and registration processing fees have been increased.

Officials estimate that the month-long suspension of property registrations caused the government a loss of around Rs1.5 billion.

Under the revised fee structure, stamp duty remains one per cent of the property's total value, corporation tax one per cent, cantonment board tax three per cent, Punjab Land Revenue Authority services tax Rs3,800, registration fee Rs1,000, comparison fee Rs500, advance tax 10.5pc for non-filers and 1.25pc for filers

The new structure requires capital gains tax of 11.5pc for non-filers and 2.75pc for filers, property record issuance fee Rs800, express property record fee Rs3,500, mutation fee Rs1,100, express mutation fee Rs11,200, and certified copy of a registered deed Rs1,300.

Biometric verification of both buyer and seller has been made mandatory. The upgraded online registration system will become fully operational from Monday, July 27. Stamp Vendors Union Patron Waheed Awan and Secretary General Mudassar Sheikh said the DC rates had been issued without any increase over last year's valuation.

They said buyers would benefit from unchanged official property values, although increases in taxes, Green Property Certificate charges and processing fees would raise registration expenses by Rs30,000 to Rs50,000 for residential properties and Rs50,000 to Rs125,000 for commercial properties.

Property registration offices and tehsil offices have regained activity with the resumption of registrations.

 

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Excise yet to prepare property tax bills

OUR CORRESPONDENT

RAWALPINDI. The Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has yet to prepare property tax bills for the 2026-27 fiscal year despite July nearing its end, delaying the dispatch of bills to taxpayers across Rawalpindi Region.

The department has already increased property tax rates by 10 to 15 per cent, but officials said the bills could only be prepared after receiving the deputy commissioner's valuation rates.

While DC rates are usually issued between July 2 and 5, they were released only recently and had still not reached the department by Saturday, July 25.

Officials said the new rates are expected on Monday, after which preparation of the bills will require another 10 to 15 days. Property tax bills for residential and commercial properties in Rawalpindi city and cantonment are expected to be dispatched after Aug 14.

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Complaint prompts transfer of staff

 

OUR CORRESPONDENT

RAWALPINDI. Rawalpindi district administration has ordered the immediate transfer of registry clerks and assistant clerks posted at property registrar offices across Rawalpindi city, district council, cantonment and tehsil offices after taking notice of complaints alleging corruption in the property registration process.

The transferred officials have been directed to relinquish charge immediately. The sudden transfers caused unrest in registry offices, while several influential officials reportedly approached political leaders and lawmakers in an effort to have the orders reversed.

New registry clerks and assistants will assume charge from Monday. According to the report, many of the transferred officials had remained posted in the same offices for three to three-and-a-half years and had been the subject of numerous complaints from the public, property dealers and stamp vendors.