THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The tax department has informed that the move to fix new slabs for land tax as per the budget proposal has been abandoned for the time being. Instead, there will be a hike in all the existing slabs. This follows an announcement by the Finance Minister yesterday that the budget proposal had been amended.

There are currently two slabs. The move was to increase this to four. The Department of Land Revenue had submitted its recommendations to the government. The plan was to make a nominal increase for those with less land and a larger increase for those with more than one acre. However, the decision to hike the existing slabs was taken following reports that there won't be a revenue increase as expected. The land tax was last increased in 2018.

Rates vary by panchayat, municipality and corporation. Five rupees up to 20 cents in panchayats, eight rupees above it, 10 rupees up to 6 cents in municipalities, 15 rupees above that, Rs 20 up to four cents in corporations and thirty rupees every are (2.48 cents) above it.

Panchayat (Old Rate, New Rate)

1 cent 1 Rs, 2 Rs

2 cents 2 rupees 4 rupees

5 cents Rs.5, Rs.10

10 cents 10 rupees 20 rupees

20 cents Rs 40 and Rs 64

Municipality (old rate, new rate)

1 cent 2 Rs 4 Rs

2 cents 4 rupees 8 rupees

5 cents 10 rupees 20 rupees

10 cents 40 rupees 60 rupees

20 cents 80 rupees 120 rupees

Corporation (old rate, new rate)

1 cent 4 Rs 8 Rs

2 cents 8 rupees 16 rupees

5 cents 40 rupees 60 rupees

10 cents 80 rupees 120 rupees

20 cents 160 rupees 240 rupees