General Trade Licence renewals now processed via MCD property tax portal with 15% fee

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has linked the General Trade Licence (GTL) system with the property tax portal, officials said on Wednesday. The change is meant to remove confusion among traders about the new online renewal method. The updated process started on June 23 and uses the same portal for both payments.

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Under the integrated system, traders can renew trade licences by paying a fee tied to property tax. Users must pay an extra 15 per cent over the annual property tax amount. The online receipt issued after payment will act as the renewed licence for the business premises.

General Trade Licence GTL renewal through property tax portal

The civic body clarified that property tax means the tax due on the premises where the business runs. It also repeated the fee rule for the new method. "The General Trade Licence fee shall be charged at the rate of 15 per cent of the property tax payable, and the online payment receipt generated through the portal will itself be treated as the trade licence,\" the statement read.

The shift followed months of concern from traders about delays in the rollout. Many traders expected the portal link to be ready before the renewal deadline of April 30. Traders said the combined payment system could reduce compliance costs for several establishments across Delhi.

General Trade Licence GTL rollout delay and trader concerns

The portal link was not active when the renewal cycle began in April. This meant traders kept using the older licensing route to avoid penalties. \"The deadline remained until April 30, and the new system was not in place. Traders had no option but to follow the old process,\" Nitin Gupta, president of the Kamla Nagar Market Association, had toldearlier.

MCD officials said procedural questions slowed the rollout. Officers had to decide whether the property owner, occupier, or business operator should pay the licence fee. Officials also had to work out how to connect payments through a single portal login without errors.

General Trade Licence GTL integration plan and MCD revenue data

The decision to combine the systems was approved by the MCD House in December last year. The plan linked general trade and storage licences with property tax. It fixed the licence fee at 15 per cent of the applicable property tax. It also required payment along with the annual property tax.

Official data showed that MCD issued 43,178 trade licences from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026. The process generated Rs 118.03 crore in revenue. The City Zone led with Rs 15.70 crore from 3,634 licences. The South Zone followed with Rs 13.12 crore from 3,826 licences.

MCD said the integration is designed to cut paperwork and reduce steps for traders. Officials also linked the change to ease of doing business across the capital. With the GTL system now running through the tax portal, traders can complete renewal using one payment flow and keep the receipt as proof.

With inputs from PTI