Up to Rs 8 lakhs tax to register luxury buses in Kerala, TN and Karnataka as owners opt northern states

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bus owners in Kerala have complained that Tamil Nadu is not releasing the seized buses despite a favourable verdict from the Supreme Court. According to the Luxury Bus Association of Kerala, there are still more buses to be released from those seized by Tamil Nadu. "No state has the authority to block vehicles that have obtained an All India permit. Permit holders are allowed to pick up and drop people from anywhere. These things have been clarified by the Supreme Court itself," the association said.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu claims that they are not seizing any buses registered in Kerala. Tamil Nadu also says that these seized buses are registered outside Kerala and brought to the state to run services. Most of the vehicles plying from Kerala with All India Permits are registered in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

The huge amount of fees to be paid in the state is what attracts bus owners to the northern states where the annual tax is low. The tax is Rs 4 lakhs per year in Kerala. This is around Rs 7 lakh in Tamil Nadu and Rs 8 lakh in in Karnataka.

At the same time, the tax is Rs 45,000 in Nagaland and Rs 25,000 in Arunachal Pradesh. Issues arising from varying taxes across the nation will not be solved without unifying taxes in states. But the states have not approached the Supreme Court on this issue. Ebenezer Chullikattu, spokesperson of the All India Tourist Permit Forum, said that no one would benefit from seizing each other's buses.

Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 25,000), Nagaland (Rs 45,000), Puducherry (Rs 2,45,000), Kerala (Rs 3,92,000), Tamil Nadu (Rs 6,86,000) and Karnataka (Rs 7,54,000) are the annual taxes levied by various states for a 49 seater multi-axle bus. Arunachal Pradesh (11061), Nagaland (8753), Puducherry (1434), Kerala (736), Tamil Nadu (869) and Karnataka (686) are the number of All India Tourist Permits issued from April 1, 2023 to June 27, 2024.