Note: The above conditions are indicative, and the final conditions will be stipulated by financial institutions upon loan approval.
Under the Income Tax Act, of 1961, income generated from house property is subjected to taxation as it is considered a part of total income.
The income of a house property depends on the annual value, which is based on the property’s ability to generate revenue. The market value of a property is based on factors such as the rent paid by tenants, property value set by the municipality, or rent of similar properties in the locality. The annual value is then calculated taking into account the higher value of these amounts.
Under Section 23(2)(a), if the property is self-occupied for residence or has been unoccupied since last year, the annual value of the property is nil and no income tax is levied. The reason for this is that the owner did not earn anything from the property. Moreover, you can also claim a deduction on interest on the loan paid for the property from your total income.
Also, if you own more than two properties for self-use, then only one will be considered as self-occupied which will earn zero annual value. The other properties will be considered as let out and are subjected to tax.
For self-occupied property, the amount of tax deduction is up to Rs 2 lakh per year on interest payable on a loan for the purchase, construction, and reconstruction of the property from your total income. Moreover, it is to be noted that interest paid before the completion of the construction is also included in the deduction. This deduction is allowed in 5 equal installments, starting from the year the house is purchased or construction has been done.
The allowable deduction for rented and let-out property includes municipal tax paid, 30% of the net annual value which is after deducting the municipal tax(for repairs and collectional charges), and interest paid on the loan borrowed for construction/acquisition of the property.
Under Section 54F, an individual can purchase a residential house without having the burden to pay any tax on long-term assets like shares, bonds, and debentures, if the net amount received from selling the asset is invested in purchasing or construction of the property. Now, to claim this benefit an individual is supposed to purchase the house either one year before or two years after the sale of the property. In the case of construction, it must be done three years after the transfer.
Moreover, an individual is not allowed to buy any other residential property or other projects within one year of the sale or construct any other property, except the new house within two years of the sale.
Another important thing to be noted is that if the new house is not purchased within the due date of filing the income tax return, the sale consideration is supposed to be deposited in the capital gain account in the authorized bank within the due date
Under Section 54, the capital gain tax is exempted if the individual reinvests the amount obtained from the sale of the house property, provided the new house is bought before one year or two years after the transaction.
For investments under Section 80C, an individual can avail the following deductions and exemptions (Maximum exemption limited up Rs 1.5 Lac including the employee PF contribution).
LIP: Life Insurance Premium
ULIP: Unit Linked Insurance Plan
ELSS: Equity Linked Saving Scheme/Mutual Funds
PPF: Public Provident Fund
NSC: National Savings Certificate
Any notified Bonds:
FD: Fixed deposit for five years
CEF: Child Education Fees
EMI: Principal paid through EMI on Home Loan