KOCHI: In what could be termed as a sigh of relief to private bus owners of the state, the state government has decided to allow tax concession of 1/3 of quarterly tax payable for the quarter commencing from April 1.The government’s move came after the number of passengers using private buses has faced a dip compared to the previous months due to the Covid threat.As per the tax structure, each stage carriage has to pay up to `30,000 as quarterly tax.

 With this move coming into effect, the bus operators can enjoy a tax benefit of nearly `10,000.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 22 of the Kerala Motor Vehicles Taxation Act 1976 (19 of 1970), the Government of Kerala, being said that it is necessary in the public interest to do hereby allow a tax concession of 1/3 of the quarterly tax in regard to the tax payable under the said Act in respect of the stage carriages for the quarter commenting from the 1st day of April 2020,” reads the order issued by K B Jyothilal, Principal Secretary.

“The government is convinced that due to the threat of Covid-19 virus, an epidemic disease, the number of passengers in the stage carriages is considerably lesser than that of the previous months and bus operators face loss of income and acute financial crisis. Therefore, the government has decided to allow tax concession of 1/3 of quarterly tax payable for the quarter commencing from the 1st day of April 2020 in respect of the stage carriages,” the order reads further.

Earlier, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also assured the private bus operators to give a tax concession due to the Covid scare.However, the Private Bus Operators Association general secretary M B Sathyan said the government should give a tax concession for two quarters.“We are going through a rough phase. Since the vehicles are not used for over a month, we will have to spend nearly `50,000 for each vehicle. Moreover, the passengers will be less if the government allows the public transport after the lockdown,” Sathyan said.

Figuring it out
As per the tax structure, each stage carriage has to pay up to K30,000 as quarterly tax. With this move coming into effect, the bus operators can enjoy a tax benefit of nearly K10,000.