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Originally Posted by saket77 States have the right to modify the tax structure falling in their domain. But how fair it is to tax people heavily just because they have migrated to KA, according to your logic? Also, the road tax in KA is very high. |
It becomes only discriminatory if an additional tax is levied just for non-KA vehicles. Here it is uniform. A person registering the vehicle in KA also has to pay the same amount of taxes. Even a person in KA cannot say he would not pay motor vehicle tax here because it is too high. Then he would also have the same fate, as a person having a non-KA vehicle. This is not a tax which effects only people who have migrated. In fact in my own friend's circle I know people who heavily supported the move by the RTO. Their argument was that,
"why should we pay through our noses the high taxes in KA when other people with non-KA vehicle can just zoom around with impunity?".
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Has RTO done its duty of maintaining road infrastructure to the extent of matching its road tax structure?
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The roads are maintained by state PWD (and NHAI for national highways), in in case of city the city corporations. The funds for these are allocated at the state level, with what ever money the state gets as revenue (through taxes of various means).
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I am calling this extortion only because KA Govt thinks that it is fine to chuck out money only because the IT population can afford to pay it. This is not the way at least road tax should be.
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Humbly disagree. Any person (irrespective of his income) has to pay the same road taxes as any one else. KA does not have a variable motor vehicle tax based on the person's income or social status.
So thinking in those terms, every non-KA vehicle owner who is dodging the KA road tax is in a way making the genuine tax payer (even the poorest of them) look like a fool. Even with a higher pay bracket, how many IT employees would have paid the LTT upfront? There could be many, but I don't think that group is the majority.
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And that does not mean that RTO should see it like a opportunity to increase tax rates and amend existing rules which is unfair to people.
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KA has not increased the tax rate for out siders. Yes the amended the state rule in order to net more tax-dodgers and make them pay up. The 6% taxation for all states does not seem to have taken off. And perhaps the Central Government is busy with other more important legislations. The only way I can see is that Central Government using the Article in concurrent lists to define a policy on motor vehicle taxation (right now it is blank), which automatically would make the states to change their laws. But again political implications would be there, and no political party can ignore that.
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If the RTOs were interested, they could have easily created a computerized system to check which vehicles have been in KA for more than a year.
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Will not fit the requirement,
of proving continuous stay. One thing this requires huge infrastructure - not just computers, but RTO counters to keep track of vehicles in and out. Just think about the situation we have at Attibele toll booths when there is a week end rush. We don't have an automatic number identification system. So it would be a manual process for exit (from KA) & entry (into KA). Using the entry and exit data, KA RTO would not be able to prove continuous stay in KA territory. It can only prove that the vehicle owner likes KA a lot and makes frequent trips in and out.
That is why KA RTO decided to catch the suspects at most vulnerable locations. Mainly in front of their apartments, or in front of their office buildings. That is why they started taking pictures of apartment/office parking stickers etc. All these moves generally would take the courage out of tax-dodger. In the recent drive near my office complex, the moment photographs etc. were taken the accused lost the moral courage to fight back. Because these chaps were staying in 70-80 lakh apartments for years together, but dodging the tax. Exceptions may be those genuine one-time travellers who have the moral conviction, which says they have done no wrong. And that was also why I was trying to know how many people (caught by the RTO) even bothered to contest the case.
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I don't think that RTOs have the right to use force against people.
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They have the rights to seize the vehicles/impound the documents. But not use force like say
lathi charges etc. which the police has. But obstructing a government servant from doing his duty is another charge, and also the RTO has the right for self-defence. So being rude to the RTOs, threatening them, or attacking them - may not be the best idea. Unless you know your own contacts at higher levels, and confident that they would be of help.
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But how about changing the rule that you cannot drive with a JH licence in KA because the state RTO does not approve it. And overnight, I become an offender?
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The KA state and its RTO cannot make such a move. The licensing requirements and regulations are all in Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 which is a central government act. States can only make modifications with approval from Central government and the president allowing the amendment. Motor Vehicle Taxation is a state subject, where KA (or any other state) has much more liberties. Don't confuse the provisions in Central M.V Act and Rules, with the provisions in KA Motor Vehicle Taxation Act.
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I am not sure, but isn't road tax calculated on the amount which is Ex-showroom + state VAT? Doesn't it mean double taxation. Is it right?
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Not an expert in taxation. But my understanding is that VAT and MV Tax are considered as different. Double taxation, I don't know if it is illegal. If it is illegal, I feel some one may have challenged this in the court already.
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Originally Posted by noopster Secondly- and more importantly- I don't think anybody, least of all the government, has a say in me as a free citizen of India, choosing where to settle down and work. I am certainly not bound by any law to work in my "home state" |
Nor was it my intention. I will take my own example. Given a chance I prefer to work in KL (my home state), own a vehicle there, pay KL tax dues and lead a fruitful life. But unfortunately with my skill sets I don't find much employment opportunities in KL. KA gave me those opportunities so I am here. And now I would have to pretty much work along with the rules in place (including the vehicle related rules, building related rules etc.). I did not follow any rule book, but just realised what are the options for me. No point in cribbing. If a better opportunity pops up in KL, I may go back there. Even if that involves paying an LTT there
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It is not unheard of (especially in IT industry but not limited to it) for people to be transferred temporarily (say for a period of 3-6 months) to a different location
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The central government employees (who are duty bound to work in any part of India) have some exemptions when it comes to paying Motor Vehicle Tax. But I don't think this benefit would be just passed onto any private company, including IT companies. The government can just say that all these transfers within private organisation is between that organisation and the employee. They should sort it out.
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I won't be surprised if the Union govt gets involved sooner or later. Till that happens, the KA govt can show some compassion in such cases
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When you ask for compassion, are you not ignoring the people who have paid the so-called high motor vehicle tax? A person's opinion on any issue, I feel is also partially influenced by what he sees around him. In my case, the worst thing I have seen is an IT employee (getting paid more than me), making a big hue and cry after the RTO caught his non-KA vehicle. He owns a big flat out there on the Eastern suburbs, and was staying for 2 years. That chap's tantrum that day was as if KA RTO had done some big injustice to him. That is when I realised that I paid the LTT and followed the law, where as there are others better off than me dodging the tax and then start throwing tantrums (in office only, not with the RTO) when caught with their pants down. Another chap was who used to joke that he would use his KL vehicle, and bribe his way out if caught. His smirk and jokes stopped the moment he saw that RTOs are sparing none this time. Then it was a mad rush to his home town to KL to drop the vehicle.
My current stance is mainly after seeing people who could afford to pay, given enough and more grace period to pay up, still dodging the tax, feeling proud about it and then whining when get caught.
Happy Tamil & Malayalam New Year.. !!!