Saturday, 8 November 2014

Understanding exemption from Capital Gain – Part – II.


There is lot of importance of exemption available under section 54 from Long term capital gain  and same had been discussed in part –I. The link of the same is given below for your kind reference.
Given below provided more recent judgments in respect of exemption under section 54 which will enable yourself with more knowledge on the subject.
·         Agricultural Land: For the purpose of determining capital gain on the sale of Agricultural l
and, the existence of the Agricultural land should be measured from the approachable road. Not as per sec. 2(14)(iii)(b) stipulations. Refer, CIT .v. Shabbir Hussain Pithawala, 265 CTR 606.   

The inability of the assessee to use land for agricultural purposes due to vagaries of nature and nonavailability of resources cannot be a ground to deny deduction under s. 54B. Refer, ACIT v. N. Raghu Varma, 24 ITR 616 (Hyd.)(Trib.)

·         Renovation : Assessee claimed cost of renovation as part of cost of acquisition of new residential house for purpose of deduction under S. 54 of the Act. The AO disallowed cost of renovation holding that renovation was not in connection with any structural damage to house and was only in respect of plastering and renovating of wires which cannot be treated as making house habitable. CIT (A) confirmed disallowance made by AO. The Tribunal held that the residential house for purpose of section(s) 54 and 54F means a habitable house and Investment made up to stage of making house as habitable to be considered as investment in purchase of house. Assessee chose to purchase a house and incurred bonafide expenditure on improvement/renovation for making it habitable it would be eligible as investment in new asset for section 54 of the IT Act. Refer, Meher R. Surti .v. ITO, 61 SOT 5.

Similar judgement provided in the case of CIT. .v. R. Balaji (Dr.), 222 Taxman 305 where it had been held that  Extent of construction of residential building and facilities provided in such building are not relevant.

·         Rural Industrial Undertaking : The assessee had sold its land located at City belt area and set up an industrial undertaking at Koppur village and claimed the exemption under section 54G. The Tribunal held that the object of enacting  section 54G was to deurbanize and remove industries from populated area and promote industrialization in underdeveloped areas. Section 54G is a provision intended for promoting inclusive growth of the country. In such a situation, giving a very narrow interpretation to the said section will defeat the very  purpose thereof. Thus the assessee was eligible for claiming exemption under section 54G. Refer, Edac Engineering Ltd. .v. ACIT, 159 TTJ 526.

·         Construction  : Benefit cannot be denied on ground that  construction of house had commenced before sale of shares 'original asset'. Refer, CIT .v. Bharti Mishra, 222 Taxman 2.

However, in the case of Farida A. Dungerpurwala v. ITO, VOL 35 PG 205, the ITAT held that Deduction available only if assessee constructs new house within three years after date of transfer and Assessee not entitled to claim deduction in respect of cost of new flat as old flat sold before the construction of new flat.

In the case of CIT .v. Ashok Kumar Ralhan, 360 ITR 575, it was held that demolition of old house and purchase of new house entitled for exemption.

ITAT in the case of CIT .v. Bharti Mishra, 98 DTR 1, S.54F does not stipulate that to claim exemption the construction of house should commence before the date of sale of shares. Exemption could not be denied on the ground that the construction of house had commenced before the date of sale of shares

Chandigarh ITAT in the case of Binder Khokher (Smt.) .v. ACIT, 59 SOT 141(URO), held that Where assessee was a member of a housing society which had entered into an agreement with a  developer, whereby members were to be given flats in lieu of their plot, deduction under section 54F  could not be allowed when construction of such flat had not yet started as it could not be said that  amount had been invested in a new residential house.

Investment in construction of new residential property made by assessee is not entitled to deduction  under section 54F to the extent the same is made before the sale of existing residential property. Refer, Nimmagadda Sridevi (Smt.) v. DCIT, 58 SOT 54 (Hyd.)(Trib.).

Assuming the  construction is not completed within three years ,the exemption can be withdrawn the period  when three years expires. [S.54F]. Refer, Pushpa Devi Tirbrewala (Smt.) v. ITO, 58 SOT 41 (Hyd.)(Trib).

New flat received in  exchange of old flat, which constructed by builder amount to construction and entitled to exemptions. Refer, Veena Gope Shroff (Smt.) v. ITO, 58 SOT 36 (Mum.)(Trib.).

Assessee made payments out of consideration of ancestral property to brothers and sisters of forefathers under the Muslim law. Since there was no material to show recipients had title over property, assessee was not entitled to deduction of payments/ If the assessee constructed a residential house , the onus is on assessee to prove that the construction of new residential building took place. In the absence of any material to suggest the construction of the house ,out the sale proceeds of the land the assessee was not entitled for deduction under section 54F. Refer, Syed Nawab Hussain v. ACIT , 24 ITR 180.

Assessee sold a commercial plot of land on 14-10-2005 and invested total sale consideration in construction of a residential house within three years after transfer of plot Said house was completed by end of October, 2008. Assessee claimed exemption under section 54F in respect of capital gain arising from sale of plot. Once assessee had invested total sale consideration into construction of a residential house within three years after transfer of plot, she was entitled to exemption under section 54F even though house was completed after expiry of three years from transfer of plot. Refer, Usha Vaid (Smt.) v ITO, 53 SOT 385(Asr.)(Trib.).

·         Investment in  Bond : The deeming fiction of long-term capital gain to be  treated as short-term capital gain is restricted only to section 50 and would have no application to other provisions such as section 54EC. Refer, CIT .v. United Paper Industries, 221 Taxman 158.

Similar decision find in the case of CIT .v. Aditya Medisales Ltd, 218 Taxman 477, where it had been held that Since capital gain arose out of long term capital asset and same was invested in specified assets, exemption under section 54EC could not be denied on account of fact that deeming fiction of shortterm  capital gain was created under section 50.The assessee cannot be denied the exemption.

The assessee sold capital assets and earned long term capital gain of Rs. 1.10 Crores. The Assessee invested Rs. 50 Lakhs each in two different assessment years in REC Bonds but within the period of six months. The Revenue allowed only a claim of Rs. 50 Lakhs and the remaining was denied. The Tribunal in the case of Smt. Sriram Indubal v. ITO [2013] 32 taxmann, 118 (Chennai) held that if the assessee had invested Rs. 50 Lakhs each in specified assets in two different financial years but within six months from date of transfer of capital asset, restrictive proviso to Sec. 54EC would not limit exemption claim to Rs. 50 Lakhs only and the exemption claimed by the assessee upto Rs. 1 Crore  was allowed. Refer, Coromandel Industries (P.) Ltd. .v. ACIT, 145 ITD 171.   

Under a development agreement, assessee-co-owner of land received, apart from built-up area, monetary consideration .Assessee invested said amount in NABARD Capital Gains Bonds within six months . AO noted that investment was made in assessment year 2006-07 while assessee was claiming exemption under section 54EC for assessment year 2005-06 . AO, thus, rejected assessee’s claim. Provisions of section 54EC do not make any reference to assessment year in which investment is to be made but only lays down a condition of 6 months period of time after date of transfer of capital asset .Since investment in long term specified asset was made by assessee within period of 6 months after date of transfer of capital asset, assessee’s claim for deduction was to be allowed. Refer, ITO v. Chetana H. Trivedi (Mrs.), 53 SOT 544 ( Mum)(Trib.).

·         Joint/ other  Names: Sale of agricultural land in joint names of assessee and his son and purchase of new land in assessees sons name. Assessee entitled to deduction. Refer, Bant Singh v. ITO, VOL 367 PG 679.

The assessee sold agricultural land and made investment in purchase of agricultural land and  residential flat in the name of her two married major daughters. While computing LTCG, the  assessee claimed exemption u/s. 54B & 54F. The A.O. rejected exemption claimed by the assessee on ground that the properties were not registered in the name of assessee. The CIT(A) upheld A.O.’s order. The Tribunal dismissing the appeal held the ‘assessee’ used in Sec. 54B/54F could  not be extended to include major married daughters. Therefore, assessee was not entitled to claim exemption in respect of investment made in the name of her daughters. Refer, Ganta Vijaya Lakshmi .v. ITO, 145 ITD 150.

House purchased in the name of daughter. Assessee having purchased flat in the name of his minor daughter is entitled to deduction u/s. 54F. A bare reading of s. 54F(1) makes it clear that there is no requirement that the house has to be purchased in the name of the assessee only. Refer, N. Ram Kumar v. ACIT, 79 DTR 386.

·         Re-assessment : In the case of CIT v. M. J. Siwani, 366 ITR 356, assesse claimed deduction under section 54 but department while sending notice under section 148 typed it wrongly as section 54E and hence notice not valid.

·         Different units: Two flats, even though acquired under different agreements & from different sellers, are one residential unit if there is a common kitchen-Entitled exemption. Refer, CIT .v. DevedasNaik, Mumbai High Court.

Expression 'a residential house' appearing in sections 54 and 54F has to be understood in a sense that  building should be of a residential nature and word 'a' should not be understood to indicate a singular number. Refer, Vittal Krishna Conjeevaram v. ITO, 144 ITD 325.

Assessee purchased two flats which were joined together before the purchase , exemption under section 54 was rightly allowed in respect of both the flats treating them as one residential house .The Tribunal decided the issue in favour of assessee following the ratio of ITO v.SushilM.Jhaveri (2007) 292 ITR 1(SB)(Trib.). On appeal by revenue the High Court affirmed the view of Tribunal. Refer, CIT v. Raman Kumar Suri, 81 DTR 33 (Bom.) (High Court).

capital gain arising from 2 separate transactions will be exempt u/s 54 and sec 54F of the act if the entire gains are invested in a single house. Refer, Venkata Ramana Umareddy v DCIT, ITA no 55 of 2012  Hyd ITAT.   

·         International property : Not necessary that property should be purchased in India itself. Assessee investing gains in residential property in Singapore is entitled to exemption. Refer, N. Ranganathan v. ITO, VOL 33 PG 444.

Assessee claimed exemption for capital gains on the basis of investment of consideration in  residential property in foreign country. Intimation under section 143(1)(a) denying exemption is not  permissible. The assessee filed a petition for rectification under section 154. The Assessing Officer held that investment made outside India could not be considered for the purpose of exemption under  section 54F and dismissed the petition under section 154.The Assessing Officer was directed to initiate proceedings permissible under law to bring the question of exemption under section 54F of the  Act for scrutiny and to pass a fresh order on the petition filed under section 154 of the Act on the subject-matter raised in the petition. Refer, Sushiela Natarajan (Ms.) .v. ITO, 28 ITR 237.   

There is nothing in s. 54F to suggest that the new residential house acquired should be situated in India and therefore, assessee is eligible to claim exemption u/s. 54F notwithstanding the fact that the house property purchased in outside India. Refer, Vinay Mishra v. ACIT, 79 DTR 1.

·         Date of possession: Assessee had paid 96% of the consideration on 3rd October 1999 for purchase of plot of land. The assessee got the possession of the land on 12-12-2005 . The assessee sold the land on 9-01-2008 and invested in capital bonds and claimed exemption under section 54EC.AO held that the capital gain is short term capital gain and disallowed the claim under section 54EC. Tribunal allowed the claim of assessee. On appeal by revenue the court up held the view of the Tribunal by observing that the assessee had acquired the beneficial interest to the property at least 96% of the amount on payment by 3rd October 1999.Order of Tribunal was up held. Refer, CIT .v. K. Ramakrishnan, 363 ITR 59.

Karnataka High court in the case of Latha Ramachandra Inamdar (Ms.) .v. DCIT, 218 Taxman 277 held that Since there was no evidence that assessee was in possession of subject land pursuant to an agreement  of purchase any time beyond period of 3 years, assessee would not be entitled for exemption as provided for under section 54F.

As sale deed executed was executed on 3-9-2005 and was possession handed over in the financial  year relevant to AY 2006-07. Hence, capital gains were held to be assessable in AY 2006-07 and not in AY 2007-08. Refer, Satishkumar Agarwal .v. DCIT, 28 ITR 167.

·         Definition of month : The term “month” in S.54E, 54EA, 54EB & 54EC does not mean “30 days” but the “calendar month”. So, the expression “within a month” means “before the end of the calendar month”. Refer, Alkaben B. Patel .v. ITO, Ahd ITAT.

·         Land appurtenant to : for claim of deduction land appurtenant to residential house determined with locality, social status, profession of assesse . completion certificate issued by Local Panchayat acceptable & certificate of village officer valid to accept land use. Refer, Tony J. Pulikal .v. Dy.CIT, 145 ITD 172.

·         Tenancy Right :  Since cost to previous owner of tenancy rights inherited by assessee was not nil, assessee had the  option to adopt fair market value of tenancy right as on April 1, 1981. Assessee entitled to exemption for expenditure incurred for making old house habitable.  Surrender of tenancy rights is not entitled to exemption for transfer of residential house u/s 54, since it is deemed ownership. Deduction allowable for purchase of more than one house u/s 54F, Meher R. Surti .v. ITO, 27 ITR 340.

·         Others : Assessee could not be denied exemption under section 54F for investment of sale proceeds of shares  in acquiring residential unit, on the ground that the assessee has not provided the details of broker.  Sale consideration cannot be treated as bogus. Refer, Ramesh Kumar Goel v. ITO, 58 SOT 49 (Guwahati)(Trib.).

Merely because capital gains earned had been utilized for other purposes and borrowed funds were deposited in capital gains investment account, benefit of section 54F exemption cannot be denied. Refer, J.V. Krishna Rao v. Dy. CIT, 54 SOT 44.

·         Extension of old property: For the purpose of s. 54F, the residential house so constructed is referred to as new asset. Obviously, a new house is not something which is either an extension or addition made to an existing structure. In the present case, approval plan of the Corporation pertains only to roof changing (sunshade projection) and for construction/extension of/to the first floor. Assessee was not therefore entitled to exemption under s. 54F. Refer, Pushpa v. ITO, 79 DTR 218.


In case you have any further clarification, feel free to contact me at taxbymanish@yahoo.com or else you can view more articles & news related to Indian tax & finance at http://taxbymanish.blogspot.in/.


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