A reader wants to know how real estate taxation works for resident individuals after the amendment to the Finance Bill 2024. Here are the details.
- I bought land at a price of 5L in 1995.
- The valuation report by the government registered and reputed valuer with all my value additions (fencing, water well, small house for caretaker etc) is valued at 20 L as of 1.4.2001.
- However, circle rate for 2001 is not known, it could be that it is less than 20 L. I have to check with the registrar’s office if they had a circle rate for this remote area those days for the years 2000-01″.
- Selling it now for four Crores.
Let us now compute the tax with and without indexation.
Without indexation
- Actual capital gain = Rs. 3.8 Crores.
- 12.5% tax on this plus 4% cess = Rs. 49.4 Lakhs.
With indexation
- The cost inflation index (CII) in 2001 was 100.
- CII for the current FY (2024-245) is 363
- So the indexed purchase price is: 20 Lakhs X 363/100 = 72.6 Lakhs
- Indexed capital gain = Rs 4 Crores minus Rs. 72.6 Lakhs = Rs. 3.274 Crores,
- 20% tax on this gain plus 4% cess = Rs. 68.099 Lakhs
We can now choose the lower of the two methods and pay Rs. 49.4 Lakhs as tax. Options to lower this tax include buying section 54EC bonds or building/buying another house.
Join 32,000+ readers and get free money management solutions delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to get posts via email! (Link takes you to our email sign-up form)
🔥Enjoy massive discounts on our robo-advisory tool & courses! 🔥
Why did the indexation option result in a higher tax in this example?
We had shown earlier that absolute returns have to be nearly three times higher than inflation for the 12.5% tax rule to be beneficial!
Let X = % capital gain (sale price – purchase price)/purchase price.
Y = % change in the cost inflation index
(CII in the year sold minus CII in the year purchased)/CII in the year purchased
If X> 2.667*Y, the 12.5% tax is favourable
If X < 2.667*Y, we will pay more tax with 12.5% than with 20% with indexation.
This is summarised in this graph.
In this example,
X = 19000%
Y = 263%
X/Y = 72.74 times! So, the 12.5% tax rule is favourable.
Other FAQ
- Will there be indexation from 1995 to 2000? => No. You will have to find the valuation on 1st April 2001 using a professional real estate valuer and use that as the purchase price (for properties purchased before April 2001).
- Or do I need to find out if there was a circle rate in 2000? => No.
- Will the govt accept the valuer report of fair market value as of 1.4.2001? => Yes. There is no need to show this unless asked for by the income tax department if there is a query on the IT return.
🔥Enjoy massive discounts on our courses, robo-advisory tool and exclusive investor circle! 🔥& join our community of 7000+ users!
Use our Robo-advisory Tool for a start-to-finish financial plan! ⇐ More than 2,500 investors and advisors use this!
Track your mutual funds and stock investments with this Google Sheet!
We also publish monthly equity mutual funds, debt and hybrid mutual funds, index funds and ETF screeners and momentum, low-volatility stock screeners.
- Do you have a comment about the above article? Reach out to us on Twitter: @freefincal or @pattufreefincal
- Have a question? Subscribe to our newsletter using the form below.
- Hit 'reply' to any email from us! We do not offer personalized investment advice. We can write a detailed article without mentioning your name if you have a generic question.
Join 32,000+ readers and get free money management solutions delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to get posts via email! (Link takes you to our email sign-up form)
About The Author
Dr M. Pattabiraman(PhD) is the founder, managing editor and primary author of freefincal. He is an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He has over ten years of experience publishing news analysis, research and financial product development. Connect with him via Twitter(X), Linkedin, or YouTube. Pattabiraman has co-authored three print books: (1) You can be rich too with goal-based investing (CNBC TV18) for DIY investors. (2) Gamechanger for young earners. (3) Chinchu Gets a Superpower! for kids. He has also written seven other free e-books on various money management topics. He is a patron and co-founder of “Fee-only India,” an organisation promoting unbiased, commission-free investment advice.Our flagship course! Learn to manage your portfolio like a pro to achieve your goals regardless of market conditions! ⇐ More than 3,000 investors and advisors are part of our exclusive community! Get clarity on how to plan for your goals and achieve the necessary corpus no matter the market condition is!! Watch the first lecture for free! One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos! Reduce fear, uncertainty and doubt while investing! Learn how to plan for your goals before and after retirement with confidence.
Our new course! Increase your income by getting people to pay for your skills! ⇐ More than 700 salaried employees, entrepreneurs and financial advisors are part of our exclusive community! Learn how to get people to pay for your skills! Whether you are a professional or small business owner who wants more clients via online visibility or a salaried person wanting a side income or passive income, we will show you how to achieve this by showcasing your skills and building a community that trusts and pays you! (watch 1st lecture for free). One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos!
Our new book for kids: “Chinchu Gets a Superpower!” is now available!
Must-read book even for adults! This is something that every parent should teach their kids right from their young age. The importance of money management and decision making based on their wants and needs. Very nicely written in simple terms. - Arun.Buy the book: Chinchu gets a superpower for your child!
How to profit from content writing: Our new ebook is for those interested in getting side income via content writing. It is available at a 50% discount for Rs. 500 only!
Do you want to check if the market is overvalued or undervalued? Use our market valuation tool (it will work with any index!), or get the Tactical Buy/Sell timing tool!
We publish monthly mutual fund screeners and momentum, low-volatility stock screeners.
About freefincal & its content policy. Freefincal is a News Media Organization dedicated to providing original analysis, reports, reviews and insights on mutual funds, stocks, investing, retirement and personal finance developments. We do so without conflict of interest and bias. Follow us on Google News. Freefincal serves more than three million readers a year (5 million page views) with articles based only on factual information and detailed analysis by its authors. All statements made will be verified with credible and knowledgeable sources before publication. Freefincal does not publish paid articles, promotions, PR, satire or opinions without data. All opinions will be inferences backed by verifiable, reproducible evidence/data. Contact information: letters {at} freefincal {dot} com (sponsored posts or paid collaborations will not be entertained)
Connect with us on social media
- Twitter @freefincal
- Subscribe to our YouTube Videos
- Posts feed via Feedburner.
Our publications
You Can Be Rich Too with Goal-Based Investing
Published by CNBC TV18, this book is meant to help you ask the right questions and seek the correct answers, and since it comes with nine online calculators, you can also create custom solutions for your lifestyle! Get it now.Gamechanger: Forget Startups, Join Corporate & Still Live the Rich Life You Want
This book is meant for young earners to get their basics right from day one! It will also help you travel to exotic places at a low cost! Get it or gift it to a young earner.Your Ultimate Guide to Travel
This is an in-depth dive into vacation planning, finding cheap flights, budget accommodation, what to do when travelling, and how travelling slowly is better financially and psychologically, with links to the web pages and hand-holding at every step. Get the pdf for Rs 300 (instant download)