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IT Tax Question on 2 self owned properties - Mumbai & Goa

Anil

Anil Rego  | Answer  |Ask -

Financial Planner - Answered on Feb 20, 2025

Anil Rego is the founder of Right Horizons, a financial and wealth management firm. He has 20 years of experience in the field of personal finance.
He’s an expert in income tax and wealth management.
He has completed his CFA/MBA from the ICFAI Business School.... more
Asked by Anonymous - Feb 01, 2025Hindi
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As per Budget 2025 I understand that taxpayers can now claim zero tax on 2 self occupied properties. I own two house properties one of which is in Mumbai and the other one is in Goa. I stay in Mumbai flat and my father stay in the Goa flat. The Mumbai flat was purchased in August 2008 and I got possesion of Margao - Goa flat on March 22, 2024. There is no housing loan taken. I am confused after the budget 2025. Since I own 2 properties in my name do I need to pay income tax for Margao-Goa property while filing IT returns for the assessment year 2025-2026 even though my father is staying in Goa flat and its not on rent.

Ans: As per the proposals made in Budget 2025, the taxpayer can easily claim both houses as self-occupied and will not be required to pay any tax. Thus, both Mumbai and Goa flat will be having no tax liability.
DISCLAIMER: The content of this post by the expert is the personal view of the rediffGURU. Users are advised to pursue the information provided by the rediffGURU only as a source of information to be as a point of reference and to rely on their own judgement when making a decision.
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Mihir

Mihir Tanna  |1090 Answers  |Ask -

Tax Expert - Answered on Sep 29, 2022

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Dear Mr Mihir, I would like to know the following points: I bought a flat in Thane - 400603 @ rs.one lakh in Dec.'1983 & would like to sell now this year 2022 @ rs.64 lakhs. Pl. let me know the amount of Property Gain Tax (Long Term) which I have to pay now considering 'Ready Reckoner Rate' at Thane - 400603 area or how to calculate the same to get taxable amount? Also can I (as Sr. Ctzn.) get a tax exemption as I already bought (in joint ownership where my wife is 1st owner) another flat @ rs.75 lakh in Thane in Nov '2020? May I invest taxable amount (if any) in Govt. Bonds like NHAI / REC / PFC to get tax exemption & what interest I will get for how many yrs. or else if it will be better to invest my selling amount in good Flexi Cap Mutual Funds for 5 years after paying entire taxable amount to recover the same? Will appreciate your prompt feedback in detail.
Ans: Capital gain on sale consideration will be reduced by Indexed cost of acquisition and allowable expenses incurred on transfer. You have to calculate indexed cost of acquisition by applying Cost Inflation Index as per prescribed formula on cost of acquisition.

For cost of acquisition, you may take actual cost or fair market value of the asset, as on 01.04.2001.

In case of land and building, fair market value on 01.04.2001 cannot exceed stamp duty value as on 01.04.2001.

Exemption is available if amount of capital gain is invested by purchasing a new residential house within one year before or within 2 years after the date of transfer of the residential house.

As you have already got possession of new property in November 2020, you will not be eligible for exemption.

Decision of investment in specified bonds or acquiring tax mutual funds can be taken after considering several factors like risk appetite, amount of tax liability on capital gain, availability of surplus fund etc.

..Read more

Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10872 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Apr 16, 2025

Money
Sir I purchased a flat in 2006 for 3.6 lakhs as joint ownership with my wife and sold it in March 2025 at 31 lakhs. My wife is a home maker and never a tax payer. Now we have sold the property. What are the tax implication on myself and my wife. I also spent some 1.5 lakhs for improvements but not having any receipts for that flat.
Ans: You're doing the right thing by clarifying the tax implications early.

Your query covers:

Joint ownership of a flat

Long-term capital gains on property sale

Use of improvement costs

Spouse’s tax status

Let us now understand your situation from all possible angles.

Property Was Jointly Owned
Since the property was jointly registered in 2006, capital gains are also shared.

You and your wife will each report 50% of the capital gain — unless you can prove a different ownership ratio.

If the sale deed, purchase deed, and bank entries don’t mention different shares, assume 50-50 for tax.

Your Wife Is a Homemaker
Even though she is a homemaker and has no other income, capital gains are still taxable in her hands.

Income tax law does not exempt capital gains just because the person is a non-earner.

She will need to file ITR-2 for this year and report her 50% share of capital gains.

Purchase Details and Holding Period
Bought in 2006 for Rs 3.6 lakhs. Sold in March 2025 for Rs 31 lakhs.

Holding period is more than 24 months. So this is long-term capital gains (LTCG).

LTCG is taxed at 20% with indexation under property sale rules.

Cost Inflation Index (CII) and Indexation
Your cost of Rs 3.6 lakhs (from 2006) will be indexed using the Cost Inflation Index.

Your indexed cost will increase the original amount, which reduces your taxable gain.

This indexed benefit applies to both of you equally.

About the Rs 1.5 Lakhs Improvement Cost
Technically, improvement costs can be added to your purchase cost.

However, the law requires documented evidence — bills, payment proof, etc.

Since you don’t have receipts, the income tax officer may disallow it during scrutiny.

If you can arrange bank entries, witness affidavits, or even photographs with dates, you may still claim some support.

But to stay safe, don’t rely on this Rs 1.5 lakhs deduction unless you have backup.

LTCG Tax Rate After March 2024 Budget
There is a new LTCG rule starting from April 2024:

Long-term capital gains above Rs 1.25 lakh per person per year are taxed at 12.5%.

Earlier, it was 20% with indexation. But this 12.5% is now the flat rate, without indexation.

This rule change affects equity and property both — depending on interpretation.

For your property sold in March 2025, if this new rule applies, consult a tax expert locally to confirm if indexation or flat rate is better.

Income Tax Filing — What You and Your Wife Must Do
You and your wife must each:

File ITR-2 (not ITR-1) before 31st July 2025.

Report capital gains with details of:

Sale value (your 50% = Rs 15.5 lakhs)

Indexed purchase cost (your 50% = Rs 1.8 lakhs approx with indexation, assumed)

Any TDS deducted by the buyer (check Form 26AS)

If LTCG exceeds Rs 1.25 lakh each, tax applies.

You can invest in Capital Gains Bonds (Sec 54EC) to save tax up to Rs 50 lakhs.

You can also invest in another residential property (under Section 54) to claim exemption.

What About Clubbing Rules?
Some people assume a homemaker’s share should be clubbed with husband’s income.

That is not applicable here, because:

The property was bought in joint name

And the ownership was real, not just name-lending

Hence, capital gains belong to both owners separately

What You Can Do Now
To reduce tax or plan better:

Check if buyer deducted TDS under Section 194-IA (1% of sale value)

If not, ensure you declare the full sale value and pay tax voluntarily

Consider investing in Capital Gains Bonds (NHAI/REC) within 6 months to save tax

Or, if you plan to buy another property, use Section 54 route

Start collecting any supporting documents for improvement cost — even if partial

Both you and your wife must file returns individually — even if she has no PAN yet

If her taxable income is below Rs 2.5 lakhs after capital gain exemption, no tax payable, but filing is still needed

Other Practical Notes
Keep sale deed, PAN of buyer, and bank statements handy

Maintain digital copy of original purchase deed from 2006

Ensure Form 26AS and AIS reflect this transaction — check for mismatches

Consider advance tax payment if gain is large, to avoid interest penalties under Section 234B/234C

Final Insights
You and your wife made a smart real estate investment in 2006.

Selling it in 2025 at 9X returns is financially sound.

But tax on capital gains is unavoidable, even for homemakers.

Indexation, exemptions, and splitting ownership reduce the burden significantly.

Start collecting your data now, even if returns are due in July.

Invest time in filing both returns properly — to avoid scrutiny or notices.

You’ve already done the hard part — buying, holding, and exiting smartly.

Let’s close the loop with smart tax handling.

Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
Chief Financial Planner,
www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment

..Read more

Latest Questions
Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10872 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Dec 06, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 06, 2025Hindi
Money
Dear Sir/Ma'am, I need some guidance and advice for continuing my mutual fund investments. I am a 36 year old male, married, no kids yet and no debts/liabilities as such. I have couple of savings in PPF, NPS, Emergency funds and long term investing in direct stocks. I recently started below mentioned SIPs for long term to grow wealth. Request you to review the same and let me know if I should continue with the SIPs or need to rationalize. Kindly also advice on how to invest a lumpsum amount of around 6lacs. invesco small cap 2000 motilal oswal midcap 2700 parag parikh flexicap 3000 HDFC flexicap 3100 ICICI prudential largecap 3100 HDFC large and midcap 3100 HDFC gold etf FOF 2000 ICICI Pru equity and debt fund 3000 HDFC balanced advantage fund 3000 nippon india silver etf FOF 2000
Ans: You already built a solid foundation. Many investors delay planning. But you started early at 36. That gives you a strong advantage. You have no liabilities. You have long term thinking. You also have diversified savings like PPF, NPS, Emergency funds and direct stocks. That shows clarity and discipline. This approach builds wealth with less stress over time.

You also started systematic investments in equity funds. That is a positive step. Your selection covers multiple categories like large cap, mid cap, small cap, flexi cap, hybrid and precious metals. So the intent is right. You are trying to create a broad portfolio. That gives balance.

» Your Portfolio Composition Understanding
Your current SIP list includes:

Small cap

Mid cap

Flexi cap

Large cap

Large and mid cap

Hybrid category

Gold and Silver FoF

Equity and Debt allocation fund

Dynamic hybrid fund

This shows you are trying to cover many segments. But too many categories can create overlap. When there is overlap, you get confusion during review. It also makes portfolio discipline difficult. You may think you are diversified. But the holdings inside may repeat. That reduces efficiency.

Your portfolio now looks like:

Equity dominant

Hybrid for stability

Metals for hedge

So the broad direction is fine. But simplifying helps in long-term habit building.

» Fund Category Duplication
You hold:

Two flexi cap funds

One large and mid cap fund

One pure large cap fund

One mid cap fund

One small cap fund

Flexi cap funds already invest across large, mid, small. Then large and mid also overlaps. So the large cap exposure gets repeated. That may not add extra benefit. But it increases monitoring complexity.

So I suggest rationalising. Keep one fund per category in core. Keep satellite space for only high conviction.

» Core and Satellite Strategy
A structured portfolio follows core and satellite method.

Core portfolio should be:

Simple

Long term

Stable

Satellite portfolio can be:

High growth

Concentrated

Based on your thinking level, you can structure like this:

Core funds:

One large cap

One flexi cap

One hybrid equity and debt fund

One balanced advantage type fund

Satellite funds:

One mid cap

One small cap

One metal allocation if needed

This division gives clarity. You can continue SIPs with review every year. No need to stop and restart often. That reduces behavioural mistakes.

» Your Current SIP List Review with Suggested Streamlining

You can consider continuing:

One flexi cap

One large cap

One mid cap

One small cap

One balanced advantage

One equity and debt hybrid

You may reconsider keeping both flexi caps and both gold silver funds. One of each category is enough. Because too many funds do not increase returns. It complicates tracking.

Precious metal funds should not be more than 5 to 7 percent in your portfolio. This is because metals are hedge assets. They do not create compounding like equity. They act as protection during cycles. So keep them small.

» How to Use the Rs 6 Lakh Lump Sum
You asked about lump sum investing. This is important. Lump sum should not go fully into equity at one time. Markets move in cycles. So use a staggered method. You can invest the lump sum through STP (Systematic Transfer Plan). You can keep the amount in a liquid fund and set STP toward your chosen growth funds over 6 to 12 months.

This reduces timing risk. It also creates discipline. So your Rs 6 lakh can be deployed gradually. You may use 50% towards core equity funds and 30% toward satellite growth category. The remaining 20% can go into hybrid category. This gives balance and comfort.

» Regular Funds Over Direct Funds
One important point many investors miss. Direct funds look cheaper. But they demand deep knowledge, discipline, and behaviour control. Most investors lose more through emotional selling and wrong timing than they save on expense ratio.

With regular funds through a Mutual Fund Distributor with Certified Financial Planner qualification, you get guidance, structure and correction. The advisory discipline protects you during market extremes. That is more valuable than a small saving in expense ratio.

A personalised planner also tracks portfolio drift, rebalancing need and category shifts. So regular fund investing gives long-term benefit and behaviour coaching.

» Actively Managed Funds over Index or ETF
Some investors choose index funds or ETF thinking they are simple and cheap. But they ignore drawbacks.

Index funds or ETF will not avoid weak companies in the index. They will invest whether the company grows or struggles. There is no fund manager decision making. So when markets are at peak, index funds continue aggressive exposure. In downturns also they fall fully. There is no cushion.

Actively managed funds work with research teams. They can avoid bad sectors. They can shift allocation based on market and economy. Over long term, this gives better alpha and stability. So continuing with actively managed funds creates better wealth compounding.

» SIP Continuation Strategy
Once the rationalisation is done, continue SIPs every month without interruption. Pause and restart behaviour damages compounding power. SIP works best when you go through all market cycles. You benefit more during corrections because cost averaging works.

So continue SIP amount. You can also review SIP increase every year based on income. Increasing SIP by 10 to 15 percent every year helps you reach large corpus faster.

» Asset Allocation Based Approach
One key point in wealth creation is having the right asset mix. Equity gives growth. Hybrid gives balance. Metals give hedge. Debt gives safety. Your asset allocation should stay aligned to your risk profile and time horizon.

Since you are young and have long term horizon, higher equity allocation is fine. But as time moves, rebalancing is important. Rebalancing protects gains and restores allocation.

So review your asset allocation every year or during major life events like child birth, home buying or retirement planning.

» Behaviour Management
Many portfolios fail not due to bad funds. They fail due to bad decisions. Selling during correction. Stopping SIP when market falls. Chasing past return performance. These mistakes reduce wealth.

Your discipline so far is good. Continue to stay patient during volatility. Equity rewards patience and time.

» Financial Goals Clarity
Since you have no children now, you can decide your long-term goals. Typical goals may include:

Retirement

Future child education

Dream lifestyle purchase

Health care reserves

When goals are clear, investment purpose becomes stronger. So you can map each fund category to goal horizon. Short-term goals should not use equity. Long-term goals should use equity with hybrid support.

» Role of Review and Monitoring
Review once in a year is enough. Frequent review can create anxiety. Annual review helps check:

Fund performance

Expense drift

Category relevance

Allocation balance

Then adjust only if needed. This progress helps you stay confident and aligned.

» Taxation Awareness
Equity mutual funds taxation rules are:

Short term (below one year holding) taxable at 20 percent

Long term (above one year holding) gains above Rs 1.25 lakh taxable at 12.5 percent

Debt mutual funds are taxed as per your income slab.

So always hold equity funds for long term. That reduces tax impact and gives better growth.

» SIP Increase Plan
You can create a simple plan to increase SIP over time. For example:

Increase SIP at every salary increment

Increase SIP during bonus time

Use rewards or extra income for investing

This habit accelerates wealth. So by the time you reach 45 to 50 years, your investments could reach a strong level.

» Insurance and Protection
Before investing large, ensure you have term insurance and health insurance. If not already done, it is important. Insurance protects wealth. Without insurance, even a small medical event can impact investment plan. So review this part also. Since you are married, cover both.

» Wealth Behaviour Mindset
You are already disciplined. Just keep these simple principles:

Invest without stopping

Review once a year

Avoid funds overlap

Follow asset allocation

Avoid reacting to media noise

This helps you reach long term milestones.

» Finally
You are on the right track. Only fine tuning and simplification is needed. Your discipline is visible. Your portfolio will grow well with structure, patience and periodic review. Use the Rs 6 lakh with STP approach. And continue SIP with rationalised categories.

With time and consistency, wealth creation becomes effortless and peaceful. You just need to stay committed and avoid overthinking during market movements.

Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment

...Read more

Dr Dipankar

Dr Dipankar Dutta  |1837 Answers  |Ask -

Tech Careers and Skill Development Expert - Answered on Dec 05, 2025

Career
Dear Sir, I did my BTech from a normal engineering college not very famous. The teaching was not great and hence i did not study well. I tried my best to learn coding including all the technologies like html,css,javascript,react js,dba,php because i wanted to be a web developer But nothing seem to enter my head except html and css. I don't understand a language which has more complexities. Is it because of my lack of experience or not devoting enough time. I am not sure. I did many courses online and tried to do diplomas also abroad which i passed somehow. I recently joined android development course because i like apps but the teaching was so fast that i could not memorize anything. There was no time to even take notes down. During the course i did assignments and understood the code because i have to pass but after the course is over i tend to forget everything. I attempted a lot of interviews. Some of them i even got but could not perform well so they let me go. Now due to the AI booming and job markets in a bad shape i am re-thinking whether to keep studying or whether its just time waste. Since 3 years i am doing labour type of jobs which does not yield anything to me for survival and to pay my expenses. I have the quest to learn everything but as soon as i sit in front of the computer i listen to music or read something else. What should i do to stay more focused? What should i do to make myself believe confident. Is there still scope of IT in todays world? Kindly advise.
Ans: Your story does not show failure.
It shows persistence, effort, and desire to improve.

Most people give up.
You didn’t.
That means you will succeed — but with the right method, not the old one.

...Read more

DISCLAIMER: The content of this post by the expert is the personal view of the rediffGURU. Investment in securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related document carefully before investing. The securities quoted are for illustration only and are not recommendatory. Users are advised to pursue the information provided by the rediffGURU only as a source of information and as a point of reference and to rely on their own judgement when making a decision. RediffGURUS is an intermediary as per India's Information Technology Act.

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