Kashmir Trade Alliance protests against ‘double tax’ on outside vehicles

SRINAGAR — The Kashmir Trade Alliance members on Wednesday held a strong protest at Press Enclave in Srinagar against the recent order issued by the Regional Transport Officer Kashmir for re-registration of vehicles bought outside Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmir Trade Alliance members led by Ajaz Shahdhar demanded exemption from what they called as “double taxation” of vehicles purchased outside Jammu and Kashmir.

He said that the authorities must revoke this arbitrary order as this was total injustice with the vehicle owners and also with the dealers as they now have to pay the tax amount twice at the rate of nine per cent.

“A customer buys a vehicle and at the time of buying the vehicle, he pays tax amount at the rate of 9 per cent for lifetime. Then after owning the vehicle for around eight years, he sells the vehicle to another person. That same vehicle is bought to Kashmir, however, the first owner has already paid the tax at 9 per cent for lifetime, now what RTO Kashmir is asking that they must re-register the vehicles bought outside J&K and pay the tax at the rate of 9 per cent one more time, which is total injustice,” he said.

He questioned how they can pay the tax again when it is already paid by the first owner of the vehicle and they have already been paying the nominal charges, which was the norm.

“We demand that double taxation be exempted and only nominal rates should be charged for the vehicles bought outside for re-registration here,” he demanded.