[Jaggu]

And it starts again, after a pause it is collection time for the RTO again.

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/in...-12976835.html

Karnataka transport department has collected a total of Rs 40.2 crore from other-state vehicles through enforcement drives conducted across Bengaluru from March 1 to March 20.

Transport department officials said they have decided to intensify the crackdown on vehicles registered outside Karnataka but plying in Bengaluru without proper tax payments and permits.

According to records accessed by Moneycontrol, enforcement teams booked 544 cases and seized 244 vehicles during the drive. "A total of Rs 39.8 crore was collected from unpaid taxes, while Rs 3.5 lakh came from fines", a senior transport department official.

Among the regional transport offices (RTOs), Electronics City recorded the highest collection at Rs 11.7 crore, followed by Bengaluru East with Rs 9.4 crore and KR Puram with Rs 3.7 crore.

One of the biggest reasons why tax compliance does not happen is the actual system. It is pretty archaic, riddled with bureaucracy, bribes, and eventually the superhero middlemen.

We are supposed to be a progressive country with great tech enablement, like the Vaahan portal. Why can't they make it simple for car owners, especially the ones who are here for the mid-term for employment reasons, to just go to the portal and pay up?

How difficult is it to have a system where one can book a slot for vehicle inspection and once done, just log in to the portal and make the payment for road tax? All the information regarding the vehicle as well as the tax involved is in the system.

But no! make it cumbersome, painful and rot ridden that people who want to comply also will stay away!

I am more worried if the same revenue idea re-starts in neighbouring states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. I shuttle between Kerala and Karnataka every month and travel through Tamil Nadu and have a KA car now with KL car sold... do I have to pay tax for KL and TN too

[Emvi]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

And it starts again, after a pause it is collection time for the RTO again.

It isn't surprising that a few things will be unpaused and a few others will be paused; it's the end of March, after all.

[padmrajravi]

Oh, this is worrying. I shuttle between Kerala and Bangalore almost every month. Do I need to pay taxes for it now ? Wasn't there a court order that allowed 11 months of time that a vehicle could stay in Karnataka legally ?

[antonylejos]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I am more worried if the same revenue idea re-starts in neighbouring states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. I shuttle between Kerala and Karnataka every month and travel through Tamil Nadu and have a KA car now with KL car sold... do I have to pay tax for KL and TN too

Originally Posted by padmrajravi

Oh, this is worrying. I shuttle between Kerala and Bangalore almost every month. Do I need to pay taxes for it now ? Wasn't there a court order that allowed 11 months of time that a vehicle could stay in Karnataka legally ?

The key is to keep all your address proofs at one address, whether it's in Kerala or Karnataka. If your driver's license, Aadhaar, passport, landline/broadband/mobile bill, gas connection bill, and car registration are all at the same address, it becomes nearly impossible for authorities to suspect you don't reside there and prove that you are living somewhere in Bangalore.

Even if you're caught right outside your office, the hybrid work scenario these days makes it common for people to live in one state and commute to Bangalore for a few days each week.

I believe that if you've changed your address proofs to Bangalore, it shows an intention to settle there, and it's reasonable to keep your car registered in Karnataka too.

Are people with all address proofs in another state and frequently driving home being penalized by the Bangalore RTO? If that happened, It's sad hard to believe they've degraded to that level of unfairness.

[Sahil]

This will all calm down in a few days, after 31st March financial year ending they will not bother as much. This is being done to meet their financial targets by this weekend.

Same drives used to happen in Mumbai but they do not bother anymore after the cap on RTO tax was implemented, they were able to get more outstation registration done in MH rather than vice versa.

[LionX]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

And it starts again, after a pause it is collection time for the RTO again.

I thought Supreme Court has made it clear to the Karnataka government that it’s unconstitutional and against the fundamental rights for a citizen - right to travel anywhere in the country !

The problem in our country is even the highest court in this country is worried about the financial loss of a state which isn’t their responsibility at the first place !! Courts responsibility is to uphold the law if there is a law. And it’s the duty of executive wing to find a solution if there’s financial loss to whoever involved without violating any other laws of the land !!!

[fiat_tarun]

Re-located from Pune to Bangalore last year and even though re-registration was covered by the company, I did not go ahead with it considering they weren't really bothered since the court verdict.

However, something told to get it done as the situation can change anytime and I would be out of the window to claim any relocation expenses and I went ahead and got a KA number just last month !

Originally Posted by LionX

I thought Supreme Court has made it clear to the Karnataka government that it’s unconstitutional and against the fundamental rights for a citizen - right to travel anywhere in the country !

...

The court only ruled against the 30 day modification that KA did. Now they are following the central rule which allows stay upto 11 months and asking people to show evidence of when they entered the state.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Interestingly even BH vehicles are targeted!

Apparently BH vehicles having completed 2 years should have the subsequent tax payment done in Karnataka.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by Sahil

This will all calm down in a few days, after 31st March financial year ending they will not bother as much. This is being done to meet their financial targets by this weekend.

Same drives used to happen in Mumbai but they do not bother anymore after the cap on RTO tax was implemented, they were able to get more outstation registration done in MH rather than vice versa.

It is unlikely to stop - the reason is that the state offers several freebies to the citizens which have become a huge burden on the treasury. So Cops are out to get you everywhere, speed guns, seat belt, modifications, you name it everything is fined. There are ITMS cameras on small village roads also now raking up tons of fines, their old scooters and bikes are now worth their weight in gold with fines

The freebies are unlikely to stop, I think. Its beneficial to a large population at this point.

[manishk123]

Reposting an old judgement against Govt of Karnataka which might be of some help to others. They cannot charge lifetime tax unless they can prove vehicle has been in Karnataka for over a year.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by antonylejos

The key is to keep all your address proofs at one address, whether it's in Kerala or Karnataka. .

Yes, this is what I did: moved my DL and Aadhaar to a BLR address since it is more messy to deal with the cops and authorities here than at my home state.

But this will not work if the RTO at BLR catches you (all the addresses, identity proof, car documents including insurance and pollution with another state), because now they are asking for valid proofs to prove the movement is recent, like toll receipts and fuel bills. If they find any records like traffic challans with older dates in BLR, that can also be used against the owner. That is how aggressive they have gone.

[padmrajravi]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Yes, this is what I did: moved my DL and Aadhaar to a BLR address since it is more messy to deal with the cops and authorities here than at my home state.

But this will not work if the RTO at BLR catches you (all the addresses, identity proof, car documents including insurance and pollution with another state), because now they are asking for valid proofs to prove the movement is recent, like toll receipts and fuel bills. If they find any records like traffic challans with older dates in BLR, that can also be used against the owner. That is how aggressive they have gone.

Toll receipts are all online now. Will they accept the toll debit messages then? I don't understand the point of using challans with older dates in BLR to prove 1 year stay. I have been taking these monthly two-day trips to bangalore for years now. So I may have challans for earlier dates in BLR. But all my address proofs, insurance documents, pollution certificates, service records will be from Kerala.

[anjan_c2007]

Usually a tool to extract money in the millions when a state's kitty becomes dry and bereft of funds.

But the tragedy is that all this money goes to the exchequer. Not a pie is ploughed back to the Transport department. So when we visit RTO offices, we find hundreds of dusty registers and files, cobwebs with evolving species of spiders, rats and mice hiding securely maybe with their newborns some emerging out to take their bite, hanging computers trying the patience of those queuing up and more.

And outside the building, one can spot peepal and banyan trees growing from through the building walls.

[antonylejos]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

But this will not work if the RTO at BLR catches you (all the addresses, identity proof, car documents including insurance and pollution with another state), because now they are asking for valid proofs to prove the movement is recent, like toll receipts and fuel bills. If they find any records like traffic challans with older dates in BLR, that can also be used against the owner. That is how aggressive they have gone.

I was in the market for a car 2 years back when I was working in Bangalore. I even considered buying a KA-registered one, considering the horror stories about non-KA registration cars in KA. However, when reality struck that I did not have any address proof in Bangalore, I finally decided to go ahead with a KL registration. Honestly it was not the because of the higher cost , I chose KL registration over KA. Because I was getting a higher discount that was offsetting difference in KL and more from Bangalore. I just could not buy from Bangalore without an address proof.

Anyway, I left Bangalore soon after.

But for all who are like me, ( not moved permanently to Bangalore, but in Bangalore temporarily due to a project assignment) they will have the same issue, right?

How can the RTO force someone without an address in KA and staying at temporary accommodations like hotels or PGs during each visit to register a vehicle? It's just not possible to do under current MVD rules. You atleast need a registered rental agreement.

[blackwasp]

The rules are very clear. The onus is on the RTO guys to prove that the vehicle has been in the state for over 11 months continuously.

Luckily, we decided to go for a BH series for dad's Thar back in 2022 and it has been helpful. But my Ignis is MH 12, and I do 2-3 trips to Bangalore in a year by this car. I've so far been stopped only 2 times, and they let me go once I show them my DL which has Pune address.

My suggestion for those using out of state cars in KA, please ensure you have atleast one out station trip once every 10 months to be on the safe side.

Someone in my dad's office paid KA tax on his MH reg vehicle and this was sufficient for the authorities. He retained his MH number. Now, he's back to Mumbai office, so he applied for a refund of the tax paid and he was refunded after about 5-6 months. This could also be a viable option now that refund can also be availed.