Section 54EC only on Land & Building Transfer: Investment period 5 Years

Rationalization of the provisions of section 54EC

Section 54EC of the Act provides that capital gain, arising from the transfer of a long-term capital asset, invested in the long-term specified asset at any time within a period of six months after the date of such transfer, shall not be charged to tax subject to certain conditions specified in the said section.

The section also provides that “long-term specified asset” for making any investment under the section on or after the 1st day of April, 2007 means any bond, redeemable after three years and issued on or after the 1st day of April, 2007 by the National Highways Authority of India or by the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited; or any other bond notified by the Central Government in this behalf.

In order to rationalise the provisions of section 54EC of the Act and to restrict the scope of the section only to capital gains arising from long-term capital assets, being land or building or both and to make available funds at the disposal of eligible bond issuing company for more than three years, it is proposed to amend the section 54EC so as to provide that capital gain arising from the transfer of a long-term capital asset, being land or building or both, invested in the long-term specified asset at any time within a period of six months after the date of such transfer, the capital gain shall not be charged to tax subject to certain conditions specified in this section.

It is also proposed to provide that long-term specified asset, for making any investment under the section on or after the 1st day of April, 2018, shall mean any bond, redeemable after five years and issued on or after 1st day of April, 2018 by the National Highways Authority of India or by the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited or any other bond notified by the Central Government in this behalf.

This amendment will take effect, from 1st April, 2019 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2019-20 and subsequent assessment years.

Extract of Clause 20 of Finance Bill 2018

Clause 20 of the Bill seeks to amend section 54EC of the Income-tax Act relating to capital gain not to be charged on investment in certain bonds.

The said section, inter alia, provides that capital gain arising from the transfer of a long-term capital asset, invested in the long-term specified asset at any time within a period of six months after the date of such transfer, shall not be charged to tax subject to certain conditions specified in the said section.

It is proposed to amend the said section so as to provide that capital gain arising from the transfer of a long-term capital asset, being land or building or both, invested in the long-term specified asset at any time within a period of six months after the date of such transfer, the capital gain shall not be charged to tax subject to certain conditions specified in the said section.

Clause (ba) of the Explanation to the said section clarifies expression “long-term specified asset” for making any investment under the said section on or after the 1st day of April, 2007, to mean any bond, redeemable after three years and issued on or after the1st day of April, 2007 by the National Highways Authority of India or by the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited; or any other bond notified by the Central Government in this behalf.

It is proposed to substitute the said clause so as to provide that long-term specified asset for making any investment under the said section on or after the 1st day of April, 2007 but before the 1st day of April, 2018 shall mean 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 and for making any investment under the section on or after the 1st day of April, 2018 shall mean any bond, redeemable after five years and issued on or after the 1st day of April, 2018 by the National Highways Authority of India or by the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited or any other bond notified by the Central Government in this behalf.

These amendments will take effect, from 1st April, 2019 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 201 9-2020 and subsequent years.