The Hyderabad Race Club has asked its race horse owners to pay the Income Tax Department claim of 30 per cent TDS on stake money paid over the last five years which is in excess of Rs 50 crores by May 10. The club has sent individual letters to owners detailing their dues.

Interestingly, the claim by Income Tax department is on the club but the authorities seem to be passing the buck on the owners. The AP Race Horse Owners Association reportedly is in consultation with the Bangalore lawyers who are handling the petition of Karnataka trainers who are also race horse owners in the High Court.

The Bangalore Turf Club took a pro-active step so as not to burden the owners by this claim and consulted a panel of experts to arrive at their plan of action. There was also a session arranged by the club with the income tax experts along with race horse owners, trainers and former chairman of the club where a consensus was arrived at for filing a writ petition and to resist the move of the income tax department which in the long run will seriously impair the continuation of the sport itself.

The Bangalore Turf Club has been able to obtain stay with regard to retrospective payment of TDS. The court has passed orders that the club should henceforth deduct the amount. The matter is pending adjudication and posted for arguments and orders on Friday. In the meanwhile, the Impleading Application of the trainers who are also owners was heard in detail on Monday and the matter has been posted for orders on Friday as the Income Tax counsel pleaded for time to file his reply. The KROA also has filed a writ petition rather belatedly and their petition is also due to be heard.

The Hyderabad Race Club, it is learnt, will be filing a writ petition shortly in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh though by their letter to individual owners, have clearly put the burden on the race horse owners in case of any adverse verdict.