Prayagraj: The Prayagraj municipal corporation (PMC) has announced that only owners of old residential buildings who reside in them with their families — classified as self-occupied properties — will be eligible for property tax exemptions. Buildings that are rented out or generate income in any other manner will not qualify for the benefit. PMC has said that verification of applications received from eligible property owners will commence within this month.PMC chief tax assessment officer, Sanjay Mamgai said exemptions on property tax have historically been available for self-occupied properties that are over 20 years old. Owners of such properties are required to submit applications, after which municipal teams conduct on-site inspections to verify the claims. Mamgai said that a software update is currently being implemented in the municipal system to facilitate the verification process efficiently. Once the update is complete, the verification of applications will start, and the exemption will be granted to eligible property owners based on the verified data.Mayor Ganesh Kesrawani said that owners of buildings more than 20 years old will receive a 40% exemption on property tax, while owners of buildings less than 20 years old will be granted a 32.5% exemption. The mayor clarified that self-occupied property refers to a residential house used by the owner and their family for living purposes and is not rented out for income during the year. He emphasised that exemptions will be provided strictly in accordance with these guidelines.“Self-occupied old building owners will benefit from property tax exemptions, but the exact percentage of relief will be determined only after the municipal team verifies the applications,” Kesrawani added. Officials stressed that verification is essential to ensure that only legitimate self-occupied property owners benefit from the tax relief. Property owners are advised to submit their applications promptly once the software update is completed.The initiative aims to provide financial relief to long-standing homeowners while maintaining compliance with municipal property tax regulations. This step will also ensure transparency and accuracy in granting exemptions, benefiting residents who have invested decades in maintaining and living in their properties.
