CHENNAI: The Income Tax department on Thursday informed the Madras High Court that late chief minister J Jayalalithaa owed Rs 20 crore tax arrears along with interest as on January 31, 2026, and her properties, which were already attached, would be auctioned if the amount is not paid by her legal heirs. The submission was made in a counter-affidavit filed by the department’s recovery officer S Ashok Kumar before Justice C Saravanan when the case filed by J Deepa, one of the late leader’s legal heirs, challenging a recovery notice came up for hearing.
The counter-affidavit said the tax demand and interest for the assessment years 1990-91 to 2011-12 was Rs 36.56 crore and the recovery certificate was issued on February, 8, 2007, when the leader was alive. A communication on the demand of Rs 13.69 crore of income tax and wealth tax arrears was issued to J Deepa and J Deepak on August 4, 2025. The demand inclusive of tax and interest is Rs 9 crore and wealth tax is Rs 11.08 crore, the counter-affidavit stated. Stating that property was attached during Jayalalithaa’s lifetime, the recovery officer said if the arrears are not paid, the department will bring the property into auction.The case was adjourned to February 18.