The Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s online property tax filing facility, which started seven years ago, is now gaining momentum. There is an increase in the number of taxpayers who prefer online payment mode every year.

Over Rs37 crore tax was collected via online modes in 2019-2020 fiscal. This amounts to around 15.23% of the NMC’s total property tax income.

Assistant municipal commissioner (property tax department) Milind Meshram said a number of options have been made available for citizens to pay their property tax. It includes physical submission at the zonal offices and through banks where the NMC has tie-ups. Payments can also be made online.

In the recent past, the NMC has strengthened its e-payment system for property tax collection through its website www.nmcnagpur.gov.in by introducing multiple payment gateways.

In addition to the payment gateway managed by Billdesk so far, the civic body has roped in HDFC Bank. “More assessees will be able to pay tax without additional transaction fee using the multiple gateways,” said Meshram. There is gradual increase in property owners opting for online payment of the NMC tax. Citing an example, Meshram said in 2015-16, around 4% property owners had paid the tax online.

In 2017-18, around 9.56% Nagpurians paid property tax online. In 2018-19, the percentage of people paying property tax online was 10.96%, reveals the tax department data.

The trend is catching up every year, said Meshram, adding in first two months of the current financial year, as many as 9,250 property owners have paid Rs4.03 crore as tax.

As per the data compiled by the tax department, highest numbers of online taxpayers are from Laxmi Nagar zone. It was followed by Hanuman Nagar. Property owners from Dharampeth and Nehru Nagar zones too have started opting online payment mode to pay NMC tax, the data revealed.