Class IV staff want exemption from professional tax

Class IV staff want exemption from professional tax
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NAGPUR, JANUARY 17: Class III and IV employees of the State Government have demanded exemption from professional tax claiming that the tax rates were not in proportion to the salaries earned by State Government employees.

An ordinary Class III employee, who earns a salary little more than Rs 5,001 pays a professional tax of Rs 150 while his superior, who earns thrice as much, pays Rs 200. This disparity in professional tax should cease and Class III and IV employees should be exempted from payment of the tax, the Nagpur ZP Employees Confederation has demanded.

If at all the State Government wants to continue with the tax, then it should be proportionate to the salaries earned, the confederation has said.

According to the confederation, the basic principle of taxation is that heavy imposition on those who earn more and lesser burden to those earning less.

This very basic principle of taxation has not been taken into account while deciding the professional tax structure. As a result of which maximumburden is being borne by State Government employees whose salaries are on the lower side, the confederation has said.

Quoting the Government Resolution about professional tax dated February 6, 1999, the confederation has informed that employees earning salaries in the range of Rs 3,501 to Rs 5,000 pay professional tax of Rs 90, those in the bracket of Rs 5,001 to Rs 15,000 pay Rs 175, while senior officials whose salaries range from Rs 15,001 and above pay Rs 200 only as the professional tax.

Hence, the Class I officers earning in the range of Rs 15,001 and above, pay only Rs 50 more than a Class III employee with an approximate salary of Rs 5,000. The tax structure was a classic example of exploitation of the low-earners by the affluent, the confederation has said.