(1) This Act may be called 1[the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Tax Act].
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-
(1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act, on and from the 1st day of April 1958, there shall be levied and collected on all motor vehicles used or kept for use in the State, a tax at the rates fixed by the State Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, but not exceeding the maximum rates specified in the First Schedule :
1[3A. Levy of environment tax.— (1) There shall be levied and collected a lump sum tax called the environment tax in addition to the tax levied under this Act on the motor vehicles used or kept for use in State as specified in column (2) of the Fifth Schedule at the rates specified in column (3) thereof:
1[3B. Levy of Road Safety Cess.— There shall be levied and collected such Cess, being an additional tax, at the rate, not exceeding 10 per cent. of the levied under section 3, in respect of the newly registered vehicles in the state and the vehicles permanently migrated to the state, as may be notified by the State Government, from time to time.]
(1) The tax leviable under 1[ 2[sub-section (1)] of section 3] shall be paid in advance by every registered owner or any person having possession or control, of a motor vehicle,-
1[4A. Provision for payment of tax from month of registration of vehicle etc.-Where before the commencement of the Bombay Motor Vehicles Tax (Amendment) Act, 1972 (Mah. XXXVII of 1972), any tax in respect of any motor vehicle has been paid, and from such commencement, liability to pay tax in respect of that vehicle arises or has arisen from the 1st day of the month in which such vehicle is registered or new registration mark is assigned to it under the 2[Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988)], then there shall be paid tax in respect of such vehicle for the period for which any tax remains unpaid at the rate specified in clause (ii), (iii) or (iv), as the case may be, of sub-section (1) of section 4. The tax shall be paid within such period as may be prescribed.]
5. Issue of 1*** certificate of taxation.- (1) When the tax leviable under section 3 in respect of any motor vehicle is paid the Taxation Authority shall issue to the person paying the tax,-
(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, every registered owner, or person who has possession or control, of a motor vehicle used or kept for use in the State shall fill up, sign and deliver, in the manner provided in sub-section (4), declaration, and shall, along with such declaration, pay to the Taxation Authority the Tax which he appears by such declaration to be liable to pay in respect of such vehicle.
Where any motor vehicle, in respect of which a tax for any period has been paid, is altered during such period, or proposed to be used during such period in such manner, as to cause the vehicle to become a vehicle in respect of which a higher rate of tax is payable, the registered owner or person who is in possession or control of such vehicle shall pay for the unexpired portion of such period since the vehicle is altered or proposed to be used, an additional tax of a sum equal to the difference between the amount of tax payable for such unexpired portion at the higher rate and the rate at which tax was paid before the alteration or use of the vehicle for that portion 1* * * * * *
8. Liability to pay arrears of tax 1[and interest due, if any,] of persons succeeding to the ownership, possession or control of motor vehicles.- (1) If the tax leviable in respect of any motor vehicle remains unpaid by any person liable for the payment thereof, and such person before having paid the tax has transferred the ownership of such vehicle or has ceased to be in possession or control of such vehicle, the person to whom the ownership of the vehicle has been transferred or the person who has possession or control of such vehicle shall also be liable to pay the said tax 2[and interest due, if any,] to the Taxation Authority.
1[8A. Interest to be paid, if tax is not paid within time-limit.- (1) If any tax due in respect of any motor vehicle is not paid in time as provided by or under this Act, by any person liable for the payment thereof, such person shall be liable to pay, in addition to the tax payable, an interest from the first day of the period for which the tax is due.
1[(1) Where any tax is paid in advance for any period in respect of a motor vehicle and where the registered owner surrenders to the Taxation Authority 2[the certificate of taxation issued in respect of such vehicle declaring that he will not, during the whole or part of the unexpired portion of the period for which tax has been paid] use or keep for use in any public place in the State the motor vehicle from the date specified in the declaration, such owner shall, on application made in that behalf, and subject to such conditions (if any), as may be prescribed 3[and on production of a certificate of non-use of the vehicle issued by the Taxation Authority] be entitled to a refund of a sum equal to one-twelfth the annual rate of tax levied in respect of such vehicle for every 4[completed period of thirty days irrespective of whether such period falls in one calendar month or not.] 5* *
1[10. Special provision for fleet-owners.- In the case of a fleet-owner, the provisions of sections 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 shall so far as may be, apply subject to the following modifications, namely:-
1[10A. Tax on Transport vehicles brought in the State on temporary permits.- (1) Where a transport vehicle is brought for use or for being kept for use into the State on the basis of a temporary permit, issued under the 2[Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988)] the tax shall be levied and collected 3[as provided in section 4] for the whole of the period for which it is used or kept for use in the State :
1* * *
12. Arrears of 1[tax and interest] recoverable as arrears of land revenue.- 2[Any tax or interest] due, and not paid as provided by or under this Act shall, subject to the other provisions of this Act, be recoverable in the same manner as an arrears of land revenue :
1[12-A. Restrictions on use of motor vehicles in certain cases.- No motor vehicle used or kept for use in the State shall be used on any road in the State in case any tax payable in respect thereof remains unpaid for more than thirty days after it has become due under the provisions of this Act, until 2[the tax and interest, if any due,] is paid.
Without prejudice to the provisions of sections 12, 12-A and 16, where any tax due in respect of any vehicle has not been paid as specified in section 4, such Officer not lower in rank than that of an Inspector of Motor Vehicles of the Motor Vehicles Department or an Inspector of Police of the Police Department, as the State Government may empower in this behalf, may, subject to rules made in this behalf, seize and detain the motor vehicle in respect of which the tax is due under this Act, and for this purpose, take or cause to be taken all steps for the proper maintenance and safe custody of the vehicle, 1[until the tax and interest, if any, due] in respect of the vehicle is paid and may provide for charges, if any, to be recovered for the custody and maintenance of the vehicle.]
(1) All motor vehicles 1[other than trailers drawn by motor vehicles,] designed and used solely for agricultural operations on farms or farm lands, shall be exempt from the payment of the tax.
(1) Any person, who is aggrieved by any order of a Taxation Authority, may file an appeal before such person or authority, in such manner, within such time, and on payment of such fees, as may be prescribed.
1[14A. Revision.- (1) The State Government or the 2[Transport Commissioner] 3* * * or such Officer, not below the rank of a Deputy Secretary to Government, designated by the Government in this behalf may, suo moto or on application, call for and examine the record of any order made by any Taxation Authority under this Act and pass such order thereon as it or he thinks just and proper :
Any Police Officer, or Officer of the Motor Vehicles Department in uniform, not below such rank, as may be prescribed by the State Government in this behalf may,-
16. Penalty for possession or control of motor vehicle without payment of 1[tax and interest] for incomplete and untrue declaration, etc.- (1) Whoever,-
Whoever contravenes any of the provisions of this Act, if no other penalty is elsewhere provided therein for such a contravention, shall, on conviction, be 1[punished with fine which shall, except for special reasons to be recorded, not be less than fifty rupees and which may extend to two hundred rupees, and in the event of such person having been previously convicted of the same offence, with fine which shall not be less than one hundred rupees and which may extend to four hundred rupees].
(1) The prescribed Officer may 1* * * after the institution of proceedings for any offence punishable under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 16, accept from any person charged with such offence by way of composition thereof such sum of money as may be prescribed, provided that the sum is paid within the prescribed time.
No Court inferior to that of a 1[Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class] shall try an offence punishable under this Act.
(1) Except as provided in, the Bombay Ferries and Inland Vessels Act, 1868 (Bom. II of 1868), 1* * * or the Hyderabad Ferries Act, or the Northern India Ferries Act, 1878 (Hyd. Act. No. II of 1314- F. XII of 1878) 2[and subject to the provisions of sub-sections (1A), (1B), (1C) and (1D) on and after the commencement of this Act, no tolls shall be levied and collected-
(1) Where, before the commencement of this Act, the collection of tolls has been leased to any person under any law (other than the Bombay Ferries and Inland Vessels Act, 1868 (Bom. II of 1868), 1* * * or the Hyderabad Ferries Act, or the Northern India Ferries Act, 1878) (Hyd. Act No. II of 1314, F. XII of 1878), for the time being in force and the lease relates wholly or in part to any period subsequent to the commencement of this Act, the amount which the lessee has contracted to pay to the local authority concerned or to the State Government shall be reduced by the amount of the loss suffered by him in consequence of this Act having come into force.
No prosecution, suit or other proceedings shall lie against any person for anything in good faith done or intended to be done under this Act.
1[22A. Delegation.- Subject to such conditions and restrictions as may be prescribed by the State Government, the Taxation Authority may, by order in writing, delegate all or any of its powers, functions and duties under this Act, to any officer not below the rank of a Deputy Accountant in the Motor Vehicles Department.]
(1) The State Government may, subject to the condition of previous publication, makes rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
On the commencement of this Act, the following law, that is to say,-
1[25. Repeal of Mah. XXXIII of 1962 and savings.- On the commencement of the Bombay Motor Vehicles Tax (Amendment) and Maharashtra Tax on Goods (Carried by Road) (Repeal) Act, 1979 (Mah. XXII of 1979), the Maharashtra Tax on Goods (Carried by Road) Act, 1962 (Mah. XXXIII of 1962), shall stand repealed :