Bihar commerce body urges state govt to review non-residential taxes

Patna: The Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries on Wednesday asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Urban Development and Housing Minister Nitin Naveen to review unexpected non-residential taxes in the state.

The state government had enhanced the non-residential taxes up to three-fold in the non-residential segments.

Subhash Patwari, the chairman of the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said that unexpected enhancement of taxes in this segment is not practical on the ground at all. The state government should review it.

“We are receiving information from the industrialists as well as other industrial organizations about the enhancement of non-residential taxes. Due to this, all the entrepreneurs and businessmen of the state are suffering. The number of small businessmen in the state is very high and they are engaged in business for their livelihood,” Patwari said.

“It is not justified to put such an additional financial burden on them. The government is already collecting taxes on entrepreneurs and businessmen in the form of many types of taxes such as GST, professional tax, income tax, EPFO, ESIC, pollution etc. Despite this, an unexpected increase in non-residential property tax has put an additional financial burden on them. This will discourage the businessmen of the state and it will have an adverse effect on the revenue of the state. We have given a memorandum in the past but no one paid attention to it,” Patwari said.

He stated that if it is very necessary to increase, then this increase should be done up to a maximum of 10%.

The state government has made 11 categories of commercial establishments where the taxes have been increased.

At present, hotels, bars, health clubs, gyms, clubs and marriage halls have to pay 3-fold annual tax compared to the previous tax.

Shops having space of more than 250 square feet, showrooms, shopping malls, cinema halls, multiplexes, hospitals, laboratories restaurants and guest houses have to pay 1.5-fold taxes annually.

Commercial offices, financial institutions, insurance company offices, banks, private hospitals and nursing homes are paying 2 times higher taxes.