Builder is top income tax payer in Shimla

Builders, shopkeepers, tobacco and liquor merchants, and even an IT businessman are the top ten individual income tax payers in Shimla.

With an income of Rs 62.22 lakh per year, PKSood, a builder based in Shimla pays Rs 22 lakh as income tax.Making him the highest tax payer in the district, sources say.

"People should not fear the income tax department, instead they should come forward and pay their dues," Sood said.

Sood is followed by Arun Bhasin, a tobacco merchant who has declared an income of Rs 60.66 lakh tax and pays 14.81 lakh as income tax.

Property dealer Kamalnath Sharma has an incomeof Rs 46.92 lakh and pays 11.34 as income tax. General goods wholesale dealer Sunil Kumar of Rampur Bushahr pays Rs 11.36 lakh income tax.

Among state or private run companies Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank declared an income of Rs 2.37 crore and pays a whopping Rs 74.42 lakh as income tax.

Ramkrishan Jiwaram pays Rs 25 lakh income tax and Gulati and Sons pays over 13 lakh. Jaipraksh Industries pays Rs 1.5 crore and Sutluj Jal Vidyut Nigam also pays the same amount sources said. Shogi Communications, a local information technology firm pays Rs 6 lakh as income tax.

According to the income tax department, there are some 3 lakh income tax payers in the state. Shimla has a population of over Rs 7 lakh and has around 40,000 tax payers.

Around 90 per cent of the hill state's population lives in villages and agriculture is their main source of their income, which is why there are only 3 lakh tax payers in the state.