Property tax collection in Tiruchi has seen a significant boost thanks to the 5% discount for payments made before April 30.

As property owners paying their dues early were given a 5% incentive, subject to a maximum of ₹5,000, if paid before April 30, the Tiruchi Corporation has collected about 14% of total property tax dues.

According to sources, the estimated total tax revenue is ₹384.92 crore, of which ₹187.21 crore comes from property tax, which is nearly 49%. Of the total demand of ₹187.21 crore in property tax, the Corporation has collected over ₹170 crore so far. Of this, about ₹26.28 crore was collected in April. There are about 2,42,213 property tax assessments in the city, and the Corporation has about ₹49.77 crore as arrears.

By offering this discount, the Corporation collected a substantial portion of its tax dues, improving its overall revenue. “Around 14% have been collected after announcing the incentives. This ensured timely payments and also helped in expediting tax collection drives,” said a senior Corporation official.

Other revenue categories, including professional tax, solid waste management user charges, vacant land tax, water charges, non-tax revenue, and underground drainage, also showed improvement, he added.

Officials said the final week of the month saw people queuing up in large numbers to pay their dues to claim the incentive. Many commercial properties have paid their dues for the second half-yearly tax cycle in advance to get the deductions.

An intensive drive was undertaken to collect the balance before the end of the fiscal. The civic body initiated a crackdown on top defaulters, especially commercial establishments. It severed the underground drainage connections of the property for long-overdue taxes.