Taxes are a necessary evil, but that doesn’t stop people from trying to avoid them.
That being said, a handful of supercar owners learned the hard way not to cheat the system as their vehicles were seized by authorities.
According to India Today, a group of luxury and supercar owners held a rally over the weekend to celebrate the country’s Independence Day. While everyone was apparently having a good time, things took an unexpected turn near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.
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The Times of India says 15 cars were stopped and 11 of them were seized because their owners failed to pay the life tax in the state of Telangana. Instead, the models were reportedly registered in other states where the taxes were lower despite the fact that they remained in Telangana.
The publication said authorities had been watching the vehicles for months and were mostly owned by “families of politicians and industrialists.” Officials finally decided to move in on Sunday after being tipped off about their location.
The drivers of the cars were said to be between 25 and 35 years old, and they had an impressive collection of vehicles including multiple Lamborghini Huracans, a Maserati GranTurismo, a Ferrari and a Rolls-Royce. While the vehicles were seized, it appears their owners will likely get them back after paying fines.
Attempts to dodge the tax in Telangana are apparently pretty common as it costs up to 14% of the price of a new vehicle and then declines with age. Other states have lower rates, so there is an obvious incentive to register vehicles elsewhere and hope you don’t get caught.