Property Tax Hits Societies, Rises Up to 50%

Rawalpindi, August 17, 2025, 03:58 PM PKT — The Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control Department has launched a bold overhaul, bringing all private housing societies under the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and District Council into the property tax system to tackle a persistent three-year revenue shortfall, as per official announcement, aiming to boost collections. Starting September, domestic and commercial property taxes, plus luxury tax bills, will target these societies, extending to houses under construction, with 2025–26 fiscal year taxes now due in a single annual payment—replacing quarterly or half-yearly instalments—hitting all taxpayers with full-year bills.

The new rates, based on the Deputy Commissioner’s assessment rather than prior departmental figures, have spiked up to 50% for every taxpayer, sparking outrage, though a 5% rebate awaits those paying by September 30. From October 1, defaulters face severe action—property unit seals and arrests, warned the Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) Rawalpindi. The department grapples with technical glitches in its IT system, generating only 100 of a 500 daily bill target over the past 10 days, delaying the process further. Citizen protests mount over the burdensome tax hike. Web context on property taxes shows past resistance, while posts found on X reflect anger—some decry unfairness, others question efficiency. Critically, the narrative of “revenue recovery” may mask administrative chaos—web data hints at system failures, and X sentiment suggests distrust in fair implementation, pointing to potential unrest.