COVID-19: Wedding hall owners seek tax waiver for one year

The owners of wedding ceremony halls in Mysuru have sought full waiver of property tax for one year in view of COVID-19 and took objection to the obvious warning to file felony instances in opposition to the halls in case of any violation of pointers issued by the federal government for controlling the pandemic.

The assembly was attended by former Minister and MLA S.R. Mahesh, former MLA M.K. Somashekar, K.R. Sathyanarayan, President, Mysuru Choultry Owners’ Association, C. Narayana Gowda, member of the affiliation, and others.

Speaking on the event, Mr. Mahesh sought waiver of property tax of the wedding halls which had been hit by the pandemic and have ran out of income following restrictions on the conduct of features participating massive gatherings. “All kinds of taxes that the marriage halls are supposed to pay to the government should be waived of for a period of one year,” he demanded.

He took objection to the obvious warning of authorized motion in opposition to the wedding halls in case of any violation in complying with the fastened guidelines over COVID-19. “Reconsider the decision on action against the marriage halls as the owners are ready for corrective steps in case of any errors in adhering to the rules. But it’s not correct to warn of filing criminal case against them.”

He additionally took objection to the classification of marriage halls as “super” business properties and imposing two per cent extra tax on them by the Mysuru City Corporation.

Mr. Mahesh informed the wedding hall owners to not panic if any notices have been served on them for clearing the tax dues, and added that he and former MLA Somashekar would assist their trigger. “We shall write to the government seeking waiver,” he informed the assembly.

Referring to the latest police order, he mentioned the marriage halls shouldn’t be “threatened” in reference to the enforcement of guidelines as they’ve already taken steps for containing the unfold of the pandemic. “There might be some instances of slip-ups since there is constant movement of people during weddings,” he argued.

Mr. Narayana Gowda, who can be the president of Hotel Owners Association in Mysuru, mentioned no different metropolis within the State has the system of imposing “super commercial tax” apart from Mysuru. Hotels, marriage halls and cinema halls are informed to pay two per cent extra tax whereas this tax doesn’t apply to different business properties. “Why the MCC has singled out these three commercial properties for the additional tax,” he requested.

Despite a number of appeals, there is no such thing as a reduction from the tremendous tax which is being imposed since 2007, he claimed.

Mr. Gowda, who additionally runs a wedding hall, mentioned the owners are planning to maneuver to court docket in search of reduction from the tremendous tax in case the MCC doesn’t contemplate to withdraw and impose uniform tax on all business properties.