THE NEW DELHI MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ACT, 1994

CHAPTER - VIII
TAXATION

PAYMENT AND RECOVERY OF TAXES

Time and manner of payment of taxes.
98.
 
 

Save as otherwise provided in this Act, any tax levied under this Act shall be payable on such dates, in such number of instalments and in such manner as may be determined by bye-laws made in this behalf.


Presentation of bill.
99.
 
 
(1) When any tax has become due, the Chairperson shall cause to be presented to the person liable for the payment thereof, a bill for the amount due:
Provided that no such bill shall be necessary in the case of -
(a) a tax on vehicles and animals
(b) a theatre-tax; and
(c) a tax on advertisements.
(2) Every such bill shall specify the particulars of the tax and the period for which the charge is made.

Notice of demand and notice fee.
100.
 
 
(1) If the amount of the tax for which a bill has been presented under section 99 is not paid within fifteen days from the presentation thereof, or if the tax on vehicles and animals or theatre-tax or the tax on advertisements is not paid after it has become due, the Chairperson may cause to be served upon the person liable for the payment of the same a notice of demand in the form set forth in the Sixth Schedule.
(2) For every notice of demand which the Chairperson causes to be served on any person under this section, a fee of such amount not exceeding five rupees as may be determined by bye-laws made in this behalf, shall be payable by the said person and shall be included in the cost of recovery.

Penalty in case of default of payment of taxes.
101.
 
 
(1) If the person liable for the payment of any tax does not, within thirty days of the service of the notice of demand under section 100 pay the sum due and if no appeal is preferred against such tax, he shall be deemed to be in default.
(2) When the person liable for the payment of any tax is deemed to be in default under sub-section (1), such sum not exceeding twenty percent of the amount of the tax as may be determined by the Chairperson, may be recovered from him by way of penalty, in addition to the amount of the tax and the notice fee, payable under sub-section (2) of section 100.
(3) The amount due as penalty under sub-section (2) shall be recoverable as an arrear of tax under this Act

Recovery of tax.
102.
 
 
(1) If the person liable for the payment of the tax does not, within thirty days from the service of the notice of demand, pay the amount due, such sum together with all costs and the penalty provided for in section 101 may be recovered under a warrant, issued in the form set forth in the Seventh Schedule, by distress and sale of the movable property or the attachment and sale of the immovable property, of the defaulter:
Provided that the Chairperson shall not recover any sum the liability for which has been remitted on appeal under the provisions of this Act.
(2)) Every warrant issued under this section shall be signed by the Chairperson.

Distress.
103.
 
 
(1) It shall be lawful for any officer or other employees of the Council to whom a warrant issued under section 102 is addressed to distrain, wherever it may be found in any place in New Delhi, any movable property, or any standing timber, growing crops or grass belonging to the person therein named as defaulter, subject to the following conditions, exceptions and exemptions, namely:-
(a) the following property shall not be distrained:-
(i) the necessary wearing apparel and bedding of the defaulter, his wife and children and their cooking and their cooking and eating utensils;
(ii) tools of artsians;
(iii) books of account; or
(iv) when the defaulter is an agriculturist his implements of husbandry, seed, grain and such cattle as may be necessary to enable the defaulter to earn his livelihood;
(b) the distress shall not be excessive, that is to say, the property distrained shall be as nearly as possible equal in value to the amount recoverable under the warrant, and if any property has been distrained which, in the opinion of the Chairperson, should not have been distrained, it shall forthwith be released.
(2) The person charged with the execution of a warrant of distress shall forthwith make an inventory of the property which he seizes under such warrant, and shall, at the same time, give a written notice in the form set forth in the Eighth Schedule, to the person in possession thereof at the time of seizure that the said property will be sold as therein mentioned.

Disposal of distrained property and attachment and sale of immovable property.
104.
 
 
(1) When the property seized is subject to speedy and natural decay or when the expense of keeping it in custody is, when added to the amount to be recovered, likely to exceed its value, the Chairperson shall give notice to the person in whose possession the property was at the time of seizure that it will be sold at once, and shall sell it accordingly by public auction unless the amount mentioned in the warrant is forthwith paid.
(2) If the warrant is not in the meantime suspended by the Chairperson, or discharged, the property seized shall, after the expiry of the period named in the notice served under sub-section (2) of section 103 be sold by public auction by order of the Chairperson.
(3) When a warrant is issued for the attachment and sale of immovable property, the attachment shall be made by an order prohibiting the defaulter from transferring or charging the property in any way, and all persons from taking any benefit from such transfer or charge, and declaring that such property would be sold unless the amount of tax due with all costs of recovery is paid into the municipal office within fifteen days from the date of the attachment.
(4) Such order shall be proclaimed at some place on or adjacent to such property by beat of drum or other customary mode and a copy of the order shall be affixed on a conspicuous part of the property and upon a conspicuous part of the municipal office and also, when the property is land paying revenue to the Government in the office of the collector.
(5) Any transfer of or charge on the property attached or any interest therein made without written permission of the Chairperson shall be protected void as against all claims of the council enforceable under the attachment.
(6) The surplus of the sale-proceeds, if any, shall, immediately after the sale of the property, be credited to the New Delhi Municipal Fund, and notice of such credit shall be given at the same time to the person whose property has been sold or his legal representative and if the same is claimed by written application to the Chairperson, within one year from the date of the notice, a refund thereof shall be made to such person or representative.
(7) Any surplus not claimed within one year as aforesaid shall be the property of the Council.
(8) For every distraint and attachment made in accordance with the foregoing provisions, a fee of such amount not exceeding two and a half per cent of the amount of the tax due as shall in each case be fixed by the Chairperson, shall be charged, and the said fee shall be included in the costs of recovery.

Recovery from a person about to leave New Delhi or Delhi.
105.
 
 
(1) If the Chairperson has reason to believe that any person from whom any sum is due or is about to become due on account of any tax is about to move from New Delhi or Delhi, he may direct the immediate payment by such person of the sum so due or about to become due and cause a notice of demand for the same to be served on such person.
(2) If, on the service of such notice, such person does not forthwith pay the sum so due or about to become due, the amount shall be leviable by distress or attachment and sale in the manner hereinbefore provided, and the warrant of distress or attachment and sale may be issued and executed without any delay.

Power to institute suit for recovery.
106.
 
  Instead of proceeding against a defaulter by distress and sale as hereinbefore provided, or after a defaulter has been so proceeded against unsuccessfully or with partial success, any sum due or the balance of any sum due, as the case may be, from such defaulter on account of a tax may be recovered from him by a suit in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Power of seizure of vehicles and animals in case of non-payment of tax thereon.
107.
 
 
(1) If the tax on any vehicle or animal is not paid, then instead of proceeding against the defaulter by distress and sale of his other movable property as hereinbefore provided, the Chairperson may, at any time after the tax has become due, seize and detain the vehicle or animal or both and if the owner or other person entitled thereto does not within seven days in respect of a vehicle and two days in respect of an animal from the date of such seizure and detention, claim the same and pay the tax due together with the charges incurred in connection with the seizure and detention, the Chairperson may cause the same to be sold and apply the proceeds of the sale or such part thereof as is required in discharge of the sum due and the charges incurred as aforesaid.
(2) The surplus, if any, remaining after the application of the sale-proceeds under subsection (1) shall be disposed of in the manner laid down in sub-section (6) and (7) of section 104.

Occupiers may be required to pay rent towards satisfaction of property tax.
108.
 
 
(1) For the purposes of recovering the amount of any property tax from any occupier under section 68, the Chairperson shall cause to be served on such occupier a notice requiring him to pay to the Council, any rent due or falling due from him in respect of the land or building to the extent necessary to satisfy the portion of the sum due for which he is liable under the said section.
(2) Such notice shall operate as an attachment of the said rent unless the portion of the sum due shall have been paid and satisfied and the occupier shall be entitled to credit in account with the person to whom such rent is due for any sum paid by him to the Council in pursuance of such notice:
Provided that if the person to whom such rent is due is not the person primarily liable for payment of the property tax, he shall be entitled to recover from the person primarily liable for the payment of such tax any amount for which credit is claimed as aforesaid.
(3) If any occupier fails to pay to the Council any rent due or falling due which he has been required to pay in pursuance of a notice served upon him as aforesaid, the amount of such rent may be recovered from him by the Council as an arrear of tax under this Act.

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