Shaifaly Girdharwal
As we all are aware that whenever the topic of exemption against capital gains initiated, Section 54EC is one of the confusing section amongst other exemptions. This is main reason why today I will try to discussed it in details for better understanding:
Page Contents
Extract of Section 54EC:
Capital gain not to be charged on investment in certain bonds.
54EC. (1) Where the capital gain arises from the transfer of a long-term capital asset, being land or building or both, (the capital asset so transferred being hereafter in this section referred to as the original asset) and the assessee has, at any time within a period of six months after the date of such transfer, invested the whole or any part of capital gains in the long-term specified asset, the capital gain shall be dealt with in accordance with the following provisions of this section, that is to say,—
(a) if the cost of the long-term specified asset is not less than the capital gain arising from the transfer of the original asset, the whole of such capital gain shall not be charged under section 45;
(b) if the cost of the long-term specified asset is less than the capital gain arising from the transfer of the original asset, so much of the capital gain as bears to the whole of the capital gain the same proportion as the cost of acquisition of the long-term specified asset bears to the whole of the capital gain, shall not be charged under section 45 :
Provided that the investment made on or after the 1st day of April, 2007 in the long-term specified asset by an assessee during any financial year does not exceed fifty lakh rupees :
Provided further that the investment made by an assessee in the long-term specified asset, from capital gains arising from transfer of one or more original assets, during the financial year in which the original asset or assets are transferred and in the subsequent financial year does not exceed fifty lakh rupees.
(2) Where the long-term specified asset is transferred or converted (otherwise than by transfer) into money at any time within a period of three years from the date of its acquisition, the amount of capital gains arising from the transfer of the original asset not charged under section 45 on the basis of the cost of such long-term specified asset as provided in clause (a) or, as the case may be, clause (b) of sub-section (1) shall be deemed to be the income chargeable under the head “Capital gains” relating to long-term capital asset of the previous year in which the long-term specified asset is transferred or converted (otherwise than by transfer) into money:
Provided that in case of long-term specified asset referred to in sub-clause (ii) of clause (ba) of the Explanation occurring after sub-section (3), this sub-section shall have effect as if for the words “three years”, the words “five years” had been substituted.
Explanation.—In a case where the original asset is transferred and the assessee invests the whole or any part of the capital gain received or accrued as a result of transfer of the original asset in any long-term specified asset and such assessee takes any loan or advance on the security of such specified asset, he shall be deemed to have converted (otherwise than by transfer) such specified asset into money on the date on which such loan or advance is taken.
(3) Where the cost of the long-term specified asset has been taken into account for the purposes of clause (a) or clause (b) of sub-section (1),—
(a) a deduction from the amount of income-tax with reference to such cost shall not be allowed under section 88 for any assessment year ending before the 1st day of April, 2006;
(b) a deduction from the income with reference to such cost shall not be allowed under section 80C for any assessment year beginning on or after the 1st day of April, 2006.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,—
(a) “cost”, in relation to any long-term specified asset, means the amount invested in such specified asset out of capital gains received or accruing as a result of the transfer of the original asset;
(b) “long-term specified asset” for making any investment under this section during the period commencing from the 1st day of April, 2006 and ending with the 31st day of March, 2007, means any bond, redeemable after three years and issued on or after the 1st day of April, 2006, but on or before the 31st day of March, 2007,—
(i) by the National Highways Authority of India constituted under section 3 of the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988 (68 of 1988); or
(ii) by the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, a company formed and registered under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956),
and notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette for the purposes of this section with such conditions (including the condition for providing a limit on the amount of investment by an assessee in such bond) as it thinks fit:
Provided that where any bond has been notified before the 1st day of April, 2007, subject to the conditions specified in the notification, by the Central Government in the Official Gazette under the provisions of clause (b) as they stood immediately before their amendment by the Finance Act, 2007, such bond shall be deemed to be a bond notified under this clause;
(ba) “long-term specified asset” for making any investment under this section,—
(i) on or after the 1st day of April, 2007 but before the 1st day of April, 2018, means any bond, redeemable after three years and issued on or after the 1st day of April, 2007 but before the 1st day of April, 2018;
(ii) on or after the 1st day of April, 2018, means any bond, redeemable after five years and issued on or after the 1st day of April, 2018,
by the National Highways Authority of India constituted under section 3 of the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988 (68 of 1988) or by the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, a company formed and registered under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) or any other bond notified in the Official Gazette by the Central Government in this behalf.
The provisions of section 54EC are explained herein below –
- All categories of persons are eligible to avail exemption benefit under section 54EC of the Income Tax Act.
- The exemption is available only towards the capital gain arisen on account of transfer of long term capital asset (being land or building or both).
- The assessee has invested the amount of capital gain (wholly or partly) in the long term specified assets.
- The amount should be invested within a period of 6 months from the date of transfer.
- The investment in the long term specified assets by an assessee during the Financial Year cannot exceed INR 50 Lakhs.
- The investment in the long term specified assets by an assessee (from the capital gain arising from the transfer of one or more land or building or both) cannot exceed INR 50 Lakhs during the financial year in which the land or building or both is transferred and in the subsequent financial year.
Note:
Explanation (ba) of section 54EC (made effective from 1st April 2019) explains the term ‘Long Term Specified Asset’. The same means as under –
(i) On or after 1st April 2007 but before 1st April 2018:
The bonds issued on or after 1st April 2007 but before 1st April 2018 by –
- National Highway Authority of India.
- Rural Electrification Corporation Limited.
- Any other bond as notified in the official gazette.
The bonds should be redeemable after 3 years.
(ii) On or after 1st April 2018
The bonds issued on or after 1st April 2018 by –
- National Highway Authority of India.
- Rural Electrification Corporation Limited.
- Any other bond as notified in the official gazette.
The bonds should be redeemable after 5 years.
Amount of exemption available under section 54EC of the Income Tax Act
The amount of exemption allowable under section 54EC is lower of the following –
- Amount of capital gain invested in the long term specified assets; or
- INR 50 Lakhs
Withdrawal of Section 54EC exemption
The exemption claimed under section 54EC would be withdrawn, in case the long term specified asset is transferred or converted into the money before the expiry of the period of three years or five years, as the case may be.
In case of transfer / conversion, the amount of exemption claimed under section 54EC shall be deemed to be income under ‘Capital Gains’ as long term capital gain in the previous year in which the long term specified asset is transferred or converted.
It important to noted here that in case the assessee has taken any loan or advances against the long term specified asset, then, the same would be deemed as converted into money on the date on which such loan or advances is taken.
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(Republished with Amendments by Team Taxguru)
sir, i want to sell the property but the buyer was not making full payment. he has advance the 40% payment and the full and final in 5 to 6 month and the sale consideration will be done on final payment.. Know i want to now the advance which i received was to transfer in Long term capital gain a/c or in my normal saving a/c. later i will invest my long term capital gain income in section 54EC. Is section 54EC not required LTCG a/c and can i invest my advance payment in long term capital gain bond or wait for full payment than should i enter.
Please advice