Mangaluru City Corporation collects property tax of Rs 149.68 crore during 2025–26

Mangaluru: Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Ravichandra Naik said it has collected property tax amounting to Rs 149.68 crore under the Self-Assessment Scheme (SAS) during 2025–26, which is the highest collection so far. The projected demand was Rs 112 crore.

During 2024–25, the local body had collected Rs 137 crore, while Rs 117 crore was collected in 2023–24, Naik told media people.

In the 60 wards of the MCC, there are a total of 2,22,256 properties, comprising 1,75,724 residential properties, 44,074 commercial properties, 1,175 industrial properties, and 1,283 non-residential/non-commercial properties.

The property tax collection has increased over the years, thereby boosting MCC revenue and supporting development works.

The MCC has launched a pilot project in three wards - Attavar, Hampankatta, and Padavu - to collect property tax through physical inspection of properties.

Teams of the civic body, headed by revenue inspectors of the corporation, conduct field visits to properties to check whether taxes have been paid. If taxes have not been paid, the team members will urge them to pay the taxes.

If taxes have already been paid, the team members verify whether the payment has been made correctly, as stipulated, based on factors such as the type of flooring (such as granite or tiles), roofing and whether the property (house) is rented out or self-occupied, he added.

The field visits also help the civic body verify the existence of properties, including cases where buildings have been demolished. The visits will help assess how many new properties have remained outside the property tax net and enable the corporation to bring such properties under taxation, he said.

The sample survey is still in progress, and through the survey, Rs 55.33 lakh in additional property tax, including pending arrears and newly assessed properties, has been collected in the three wards, he explained.

5% rebate

The commissioner said that property owners can avail themselves of a 5% rebate on property tax payments made on or before April 30, and appealed to property owners to pay their taxes and avail the benefit.

Stating that the MCC has taken steps to auction its commercial properties, he said the commercial complex at Lalbagh near the MCC building was last auctioned in 2002, when the MCC fetched Rs 17.96 lakh. This year’s auction fetched Rs 71.43 lakh, marking a fourfold increase in the local body's income.

To increase revenue, the MCC will introduce QR codes on all advertisements to prevent misuse in obtaining permission for mounting advertisements. Software will also be developed to help advertisers book hoarding spaces and make payments digitally.