Income Tax Planning: Frantically for Ways to Save Taxes.

By Mr. Adhil Shetty, BankBazaar.com
  
Used wisely, a home loan can be an effective vehicle to bring down your tax outgo

As we approach the end of the financial year (April to March), a lot of people start worrying about their tax planning, looking frantically for ways to save taxes.

A lot of people plan taxes over the year, but the number of people waking up in the last quarter is also substantially high.

Housing loans have played a very significant role in reducing the tax liabilities of a number of taxpayers.

Tax-saving purpose..
 
Adhil Shetty, BankBazaar.com
Here, let us look at some of the finer points that everyone needs to know before taking a housing loan for tax-saving purpose.

Tax benefits from housing loans can be divided into two sub-sections.

One, the repayment of the principal loan amount and, two, the repayment of the interest on the loan. Tax benefits on home loans are governed by different sections of the income tax act.

The amount paid towards principal repayment is allowed for tax deduction under section 80c of the income tax act while the amount paid as interest comes under Section 24 of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Income Tax benefit on
principal repayment (Section 80C)

The total amount paid towards repayment of the principal loan amount is allowed for tax deduction under Section 80c.

The maximum deduction allowed under the act is Rs. 1 lakh, which includes funds invested in PPF accounts, tax-saving FDs, equity-linked savings scheme (ELSS) and other financial instruments, along with repayment of the principal amount.

Tax benefit on interest
repayment (Section 24)

The total amount paid towards interest on the principal loan amount is allowed for tax deduction under Section 24 of the I-T Act. The maximum limit for tax deduction under the section is limited to Rs. 1, 50,000.

If the property is self-occupied, the deduction is allowed for only one such property. Another important point is that if the property is not constructed or acquired within 3 years of taking the home loan the interest benefit comes down to Rs. 30,000 per month.

Let’s say the principal repayment amount on a home loan is Rs. 1,10,000 and the interest payable for the year is Rs. 1,60,000.

Hence, the total deduction allowed as per Section 80C and Section 24 would be the total of Rs.1,50,000 towards interest payable and Rs. 1,00,000 for principal repayment.

Taking a home loan to save taxes:
Things to remember..

Loan is often described by financial experts as a dreaded four-letter word everyone wants to avoid.

There are prudent ways to use loans, especially home loans, so that they can bring in some benefits. While a lot of people take a home loan because they actually need it to buy a house, a substantial number of people use housing loans as a tax-saving tool even though they have the financial wherewithal to buy a house. Irrespective of which side of the coin you look at, home loans offer a great mechanism for tax savings. So, before you go out and take that housing loan, there are certain things you must keep in mind.

These happen to be things your advisor may not tell you.

Joint ownership with spouse...

You can include your spouse as a borrower for income tax benefits on housing loans. Both joint applicants in a housing loan are eligible for income tax benefits as per their share in the home loan. Both partners can claim benefits up to the maximum limit.

Tax benefit on HRA...

A lot of people work away from their homes and end up staying in a rented apartment.

If you have bought a property with a home loan in one city, and you are staying in a rented accommodation in another, you are entitled to both home loan and house rent allowance (HRA) benefits when it comes to saving taxes.

About the author
The writer Mr. Adhil Shetty is CEO, BankBazaar.com


Share:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Blog Archive

Recent Posts

Featured Post

Rs. 1 crore in 20 years just by investing Rs. 9,000 via SIP: Baroda BNP Paribas Children’s Fund..!

Rs. 1 crore in 20 years just by investing Rs. 9,000 via SIP: Baroda BNP Paribas Children's Fund..!   NFO date ends on December...