ISLAMABAD: In a surprising move, the Capital Development Authority (CDA)’s revenue department has sent property tax notices to owners of many apartments in different buildings by increasing their covered areas in an abnormal way.

The action put owners of apartments in great trouble. They said they would not pay the tax as the CDA increased the size of their apartments abnormally.

“I owned an apartment of 1500 feet in one of the main towers in Blue Area. Last year, I paid tax on the basis of 1500 sq ft, but this time I have received a tax notice, demanding to pay the tax for 3500 sq feet. How on earth premises could enlarge itself over a period of one year,” said an apartment owner.

He said that in the same building many other owners had also received property tax notices with enhanced covered areas. Even one of the owners of an apartment measuring 1500 sq feet received a letter to pay tax against 4000 sq feet.

Sources said that in several commercial-cum-residential buildings, the owner of apartments had received property tax notices with abnormal increase in the covered area.

When Dawn discussed the issue with a building control inspector, he said, “The covered area of an apartment could be increased to some extent by including car parking and a portion of the corridors and under this practice the owner of 1500 feet size apartment could be asked to deposit tax against a maximum of 1700 feet, but increasing the covered area from 1500 sq ft to 3500 sq ft is something unique in the world.”

Sources said the CDA’s revenue department, apparently to give benefit to owners of malls and towers, increased the covered areas of apartments.

“Actually, the owners of malls and towers pay taxes in accordance with total permitted cover areas, and they allegedly in connivance with CDA put maximum burden of covered area on the apartment owners,” said an official. “This issue seems a big scam and warrants an inquiry,” the official said. When contacted, newly-appointed director revenue CDA Kashif Niaz said he joined the office just a few days ago and received some complaints about the increased covered areas by owners of apartments.

He said he came to know that the revenue department while calculating the tax relied on data provided by owners of malls and towers, who are supposed to pay tax in accordance with the total allowed covered area in a tower/mall.

However, he said he had issued notices to owners of two tower-mall-cum apartment buildings, informing them to send revised data. He said, “Let me make it clear, we are here to protect rights of public. Justice will be done with everyone.”

It is relevant to note here that in addition to the said issue, people are also complaining about excessive property bills with false “outstanding amount.”

Many people complained that they had paid property tax last year, but in this year’s bills their previous dues were also mentioned. Due to this issue people are running from pillar to post, but to no avail. The director revenue told Dawn that he had been trying to resolve the issue as well.

“Because of the faults of banks, arrears are showing in the bills. We will write letters to One Link and our all associated bank branches on Monday to fix this issue,” the director said.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2024