Section 54EC Capital gains exemption on investment in Specified Bonds during the financial year
Issue/Justification
In furtherance of the existing proviso to section 54EC, a new proviso has been inserted to clarify 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.
The change is proposed to plug the revenue leakage and to clarify the real intent of the law. Since, the new proviso is in furtherance of the existing proviso; it may cause hardship in genuine cases where investment has to be made in long term specified asset in respect of two previous years in a single financial year. For example, an assessee selling a long term capital asset in February, 2015 (Previous year 2014-15) may invest in Section 54EC assets either in 2014-15 or 2015-16 (upto August,2015). However, in respect of any long term capital asset sold by him in the year 2015-16, he will not be able to invest in 54EC bonds since exemption will be available to him due to applicability of first proviso to section 54EC.
Suggestion by ICAI in Budget 2018
a) Considering the fact that the new proviso takes care of the true intent of the law, and appears to be contrary to the existing proviso, thereby causing hardship to the genuine taxpayers, it is suggested that the act be amended to substitute the first proviso with the newly inserted proviso.
b) Considering the inflationary conditions in the economy, it is further suggested that the said limit of Rs.50 Lakhs may be raised to Rs. 1 crore.
