Municipal Corporation sends water, property tax notices for Taj Mahal, other monuments to ASI

New Delhi:  The Agra Municipal Corporation has asked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to pay a property tax and water tax for the Taj Mahal, along with a service tax for Agra Fort. The ASI has been asked to pay around Rs 1.40 lakh as property tax and Rs 1.94 crore as water tax for the Taj Mahal and Rs 1.40 lakh of property tax for the tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah.

It was for the first time that the Municipal Corporation has served ASI with tax notices for the Taj Mahal and other monuments. The ASI in Agra said that the monuments are exempted from such taxes, but Municipal Commissioner Nikhil Tikaram Funde said those eligible for exemption will be given relief.

The notices were issued, asking for tax for the fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23, and the ASI has to pay the amount within the next 15 days. Also. the Agra Cantonment Board has asked the ASI to pay a Rs 5 crore service tax for the Agra Fort. Agra Circle ASI officials also protested against the Agra Municipal Corporation.

ASI’s Agra Circle Superintending Archeologist Rajkumar Patel said that these are national monuments and are exempted from taxes, also ASI takes care of about 4,000 monuments across the country and has not paid such taxes in the past. He said that the Agra Fort is a World Heritage Site and in the GST regime, no service tax is applicable on monuments. Municipal Commissioner Nikhil Tikaram Funde said that they have issued tax notices to various national, private, government and religious buildings.