Summary: Agricultural income, as defined by the Income tax Act 2025, is a specific category of income that is often exempt from taxation. It encompasses several types of earnings. The first is any rent or revenue derived from agricultural land situated in India. Second, it includes income from direct farming activities, such as growing crops, and from the basic processing of farm produce to prepare it for the market (e.g., drying, cleaning). Third, income from a farm building is considered agricultural income if the building is located on or near the farmland and is used for farming-related purposes, such as a residence or a storehouse. The land must be in a rural area or subject to land revenue tax. A notable inclusion is income from growing saplings or seedlings in a nursery, which is also treated as agricultural income, irrespective of whether the nursery is on land. Conversely, certain earnings are explicitly excluded from this definition. These include profits from renting out farm buildings for non-agricultural use and any profit from the sale of agricultural land located in urban areas.
What is Agricultural Income?
Agricultural income includes the following types of income:
(a) Rent or Revenue from Agricultural Land
- Money earned from renting out land in India that is used for agricultural purposes.
(b) Income from Farming Activities
Income from land in India through:
1. Direct agriculture – e.g., growing crops.
2. Processing of produce – Only if the process is something a farmer normally does to prepare the crops for sale, like drying, cleaning, etc.
3. Selling farm produce – Only if the farmer sells it as it is, or after the basic processing mentioned above.
(c) Income from Buildings Linked to Agriculture
Income from a building on or near the farmland, used by the farmer or person receiving rent, only if:
1. The building is on or near the land and the land is:
-
- Taxed by the government, or
- Located in a rural (non-urban) area.
2. The building is used for farming activities, like:
-
- As a house to live in,
- As a storehouse, or
- Any other out-building needed for farming work.
(d) Nursery Income
- Income from growing saplings or seedlings in a nursery is considered agricultural income, even if no land is involved.
What is Not Agricultural Income?
1. Rental or business income from the building or land (like renting it for a house, shop, or office) – not considered agricultural income.
2. Profit from selling agricultural land in urban areas – not agricultural income.
Summary
Agricultural income mainly includes:
- Rent from agricultural land,
- Income from growing and selling crops,
- Related income from farm buildings,
- Nursery income from plants.
But it does NOT include:
- Rent from buildings used for non-agricultural purposes,
- Profits from selling urban agricultural land.
