Do you know that non-payment of property tax can cause legal problems and result in seizing of property and valuables of the property tax defaulters?

In India, property owners (of residential and commercial properties) must pay property tax to the civic body, i.e. municipal corporation. Property tax is a major source of revenue that the local government utilises for providing improved civic amenities.

There are numerous municipal corporations that are responsible for collecting house tax from property owners living within the area or city limits. This article talks about the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) property tax. Stay tuned!

Property tax is a direct tax that the Surat Municipal Corporation levies on property owners.

Surat Municipal Corporation collects this amount to maintain the civic infrastructure of the city. This city is divided into 8 zones. Property owners falling under these 8 zones must pay SMC house tax to the Surat Municipal Corporation.

Now that individuals know the definition of SMC house tax let’s learn about the calculation and payment process.

To ease Surat Municipal Corporation property tax calculation process, the local government has introduced an online calculator on the official website of SMC. Property owners of Surat can calculate

1. Automatic Tax Calculation

Step 1 – Visit the official website of Surat Municipal Corporation. 

Step 2 – Navigate to the ‘Services’ tab. Select ‘Property Tax’ under ‘Tax Collection’.

Step 3 – Select ‘Tax Calculator’ under ‘Property Tax’.

Step 4 – A new webpage will open. The calculator works for only residential properties. Enter details in the relevant boxes and select an option from the available list and click on ‘Calculate Tax’. The amount will appear on screen.

2. Manual Tax Calculation

Individuals who are willing to calculate SMC property tax manually must follow the formula mentioned below,

SMC Property Tax = R x M x A

Here,

• R is the annual rate of property tax

For residential and other properties, the annual rate of property tax is ₹10 Per square metre per annum and ₹25 Per square metre per annum, respectively.

• M is the product of different variables. It means, M = { (Factor 1) X (Factor 2) X ( Factor 3) X (Factor 4) }

These factors are,

Factor 1 depends on location,

Factor 2 depends on duration of the year-wise construction of a property,

Factor 3 depends on the usage of property, i.e., residential or non-residential property,

Factor 4 depends on usage of person, i.e. self-occupied or rented

• A is the area of the property (in sq. metres)

A depends on the carpet area of a property, which excludes internal and external walls.

As individuals have gained knowledge on the calculation method of SMC property tax, let’s move to the next section.

Check out an article about Property Insurance in India

To make SMC property tax payments, residential and non-residential property owners can opt for online or offline modes of payment as per their preference. Both these processes are discussed separately,

Step 1 - Visit the official website of Surat Municipal Corporation. 

Step 2 – Move the cursor on ‘Online Services’ and select ‘Property Tax’ under ‘Pay Tax’.

Step 3 – Enter ‘Tenement no’ and ‘captcha code’ in the designated boxes.

Step 4 – Select ‘Get Pending Tax Amount’. After seeing the amount, Click on ‘Login / Register To Pay.’

Step 5 – The following webpage will  lead you to the payment gateway. Complete payment. After a successful payment, a receipt of the online payment of Surat Municipal Corporation property tax bill will be generated. Download or take a printout of that receipt for record-keeping.

Step 1 – Visit the Surat Municipal Corporation civic centres.

Step 2 – Submit required documents and pay the due tax amount (with cash or cheque) at the respective counter.

Step 3 – Collect house tax payment receipt.

With such a detailed discussion of SMC property tax, we have reached the end of this piece. Read the tax payment steps carefully and complete the transaction quickly.