Assessees in Chennai would receive Notice 1 (stating the assessment number, old and new rates besides other details) at their doorsteps as the Greater Chennai Corporation has deployed self-help group members to distribute the notices from Tuesday evening.

According to a Corporation official, the property tax rates were increased up to 20 to 25 per cent depending on the locality and guideline values of the buildings. Meanwhile, a 100 per cent tax hike has been made for commercial buildings.

“This revision is valid from the first half of 2018-19 fiscal and those who had paid tax based on the old rates should pay remaining tax amount,” the official said.

Explaining the action taken to inform the residents regarding the new rates, the civic body had enabled a facility to download Notice 1 from its website, apart from distributing them door-to-door. As the civic body had calculated the new tax rates based on the existing data such as property size and spread, it had made provisions for self-assessment. “Using the software facility available in the corporation website, property owners can assess the property tax and approach civic body for correction,” the official said.

Apart from revisioning and rationalising the tax rates nearly after 20 years, the Corporation has decided to penalise the defaulters for the first time. If the building owners fail to pay the tax before April 15 and October 15, they will be levied with a 2 per cent penalty.