Sold Agricultural Land: Mother's Share Deposited and Transferred - Tax Implications?

Ans: Hi Kedarji
Based on your question, apparently on property records, your mother-in-law is the owner of the land. I do not wish to get into the legal heirship aspect of the land post your father-in-law's demise and hence i would restrict my answer within the perspective of your query.

As your MIL is the legal owner and she is the person selling the land, she will be the person liable to tax for the capital gain arising on sale of the NA land.

The distribution of the net sale proceeds to the 3 daughters could be treated as gift backed up with the relevant paper work such as executing the gift deed etc., to ensure that there is no further taxability to the 3 daughters

Ans: Here's a breakdown of the tax implications for your mother's situation:

Sale of Flats:

The sale proceeds from selling the flats will likely be considered a capital gain. Since she received these flats in exchange for her land, the cost price for calculating the capital gain will be the cost of the original land.
Tax Treatment:

Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG): If your mother held the flats for more than 2 years before selling, the capital gains will be considered LTCG. For senior citizens (over 60 years), LTCG from the sale of any type of capital asset (including land or buildings) is exempt from tax.

Short-Term Capital Gains (STCG): If she held the flats for 2 years or less, the gains will be considered STCG. However, there's no separate capital gains account required for seniors.

Exemption for Senior Citizens:

The good news is that since your mother is a senior citizen, LTCG from the sale of the flats is exempt from tax irrespective of whether she opened a capital gains account or not.
Recommendations:

It's advisable to consult a tax advisor for a more personalized assessment. They can consider factors like the specific holding period of the flats, any applicable exemptions, and filing requirements for senior citizens.
Additional Points:

Even though LTCG is exempt, it's still recommended to maintain records of the original land cost, sale proceeds, and ownership period for future reference.
If the sale proceeds are significant, tax implications on other income sources might need to be considered while filing the ITR.
I hope this clarifies the situation!

Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
Chief Financial Planner,
www.holisticinvestment.in

Ans: Your Mother may have to pay short term or long term capital gain tax on the land sale transaction.

The tax will depend on period for which land property was held in her name and cost of (indexed cost if long term)acquisition.

Mother giving cash gift to her son is not taxed but the income you may derive from this lumpsum cash gift is taxable.

For working out detailed modalities of this tax liability please consult a CA/tax advisor.