Bengaluru Property Tax Evasion Busted: GBA Issues Notices to 10,000 Property Owners

GBA has detected large-scale property tax evasion in Bengaluru, identifying nearly 10,000 properties that underpaid tax for years. Using GPS and drone surveys, officials issued notices to recover ₹370 crore from owners.

In a major crackdown on property tax evasion, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) revenue officials have identified nearly 10,000 properties in the capital city that were under-reporting their built-up area and usage to evade taxes. Using advanced GPS mapping and drone imagery, officials revised property tax assessments and issued recovery notices, uncovering evasion amounting to ₹370 crore.

₹370 Crore in Additional Property Tax Demand Raised

GBA Special Commissioner for Revenue and IT, Munish Moudgil, said notices have been issued to collect an additional ₹370 crore in property tax after detecting large-scale discrepancies in property declarations. The evasion came to light after a detailed reassessment of property records using geospatial technology and aerial imagery.

Five-Year Underpayment Detected in Thousands Of Properties

Moudgil said the GBA’s IT department, in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), conducted extensive house surveys through GPS teams across five city corporation limits. Using GPS data and drone imagery, officials found that around 10,000 property owners had been paying lower property tax for an average period of five years by under-declaring their property size or usage. This resulted in cumulative tax evasion of approximately ₹370 crore.

Notices Issued, 15-Day Deadline to Respond

Following the revision of property tax assessments, notices are being issued to recover the evaded amount. Property owners are being informed through SMS and IVRS calls, and recipients must either respond online or file an appeal within 15 days of receiving the notice, the Special Commissioner said.

How the GPS and Drone Survey Works?

Explaining the process, Moudgil said GPS teams conduct door-to-door surveys using a mobile application that contains property tax details. Team members capture GPS coordinates of each property and record information such as residential, commercial, or mixed-use classification, area under each usage, number of floors, and details of ground and upper floors. This data is uploaded directly from the mobile application to the back-end system.

Multi-Level Verification Through Quality Checks

Once the data is uploaded, a Quality Check (QC) team verifies the information. Rejected cases are sent back to GPS teams for re-verification. Approved data is then matched with drone imagery and digitised built-up area records. If discrepancies are found—such as a larger built-up area than declared or unreported commercial usage—the system automatically generates show-cause notices detailing pending tax, interest, and penalties.

Online Payment And Response Options Available

Property owners can pay their revised property tax online at:  https://BBMPtax.karnataka.gov.in

Responses or appeals can be submitted online at: https://BBMPenyaya.karnataka.gov.in

Daily Inspections To Continue Across the City

GPS teams will continue inspecting around 10,000 properties daily, Moudgil said, adding that all property owners who have underpaid tax based on actual built-up area or usage will be required to clear their outstanding dues. — Munish Moudgil, Special Commissioner (IT and Revenue), GBA