Taxability of Income from House Property

Income from House Property	Deemed Owner
Composite Rent	Computation of Annual Value
Deductions available under Section 24	Income from House Property Calculators
Some Important Points	Frequently Asked Questions

Income from House Property

Rental income from a property being building or land appurtenant thereto of which the taxpayer is owner is charged to tax under the head 'Income from house property'. This is taxed in the hands of the owner of the property. Rental income of a person other than the owner cannot be charged to tax under the head 'Income from house property'. Hence, rental income received by a tenant from sub-letting cannot be charged to tax under the head 'Income from house property'. Such income is taxable under the head 'Income from other sources' or profits and gains from business or profession, as the case may be.Rental Income of a Shop: Shop being a building, rental income will be charged to tax under the head 'Income from house property'.

Deemed Owner

In the following cases a person may not be the registered owner of the property, but he will be treated as the owner (i.e., deemed owner) of the property and rental income from property will be charged to tax in his hands:

1. If an individual transfers his or her house property to his/her spouse (not being a transfer in connection with an agreement to live apart) or to his/her minor child (not being married daughter) without adequate consideration, then the transferor will be deemed as owner of the property.
2. Holder of impartible estate is deemed as the owner of the property comprised in the estate.
3. A member of co-operative society, company or other association of persons to whom a building (or part of it) is allotted or leased under house building scheme of the society, company or association, as the case may be, is treated as deemed owner of the property.
4. A person acquiring property by satisfying the conditions of section 53A of the Transfer of Property Act, will be treated as deemed owner (although he may not be the registered owner). Section 53A of said Act prescribes following conditions:
   1. There must be an agreement in writing.
   2. The purchase consideration is paid or the purchaser is willing to pay it.
   3. Purchaser has taken the possession of the property in pursuance of the agreement.

In case of lease of a property for a period not less than 12 years (whether originally fixed or provision for extension exists), lessee is deemed to be the owner of the property. However, any right by way of lease from month-to-month or for a period not exceeding one year is not covered by this provision.

Composite Rent

When apart from recovering rent of the building, in some cases the owner gets rent of other assets (like furniture) or he charges for different services provided in the building (for instance, charges for lifts, security, air conditioning, etc.). The amount so recovered is known as 'composite rent'.
The composite rent is to be bifurcated and the sum attributable to the use of property will be charged to tax under the head 'Income from house property' and charges for various services will be charged to tax under the head 'Profits and gains of business and profession' or 'Income from other sources' (as the case may be).If letting out of building and letting out of other assets are non-separable (i.e., both the lettings are composite and not separable), entire rent is taxed under the head 'Profits and gains of business or profession' or 'Income from other sources'.

Computation of Annual Value

Gross annual value of a property which is let-out throughout the year is determined in the following manner:

1. Compute reasonable expected rent of the propertyReasonable expected rent will be higher of the following:
   1. Municipal value of the property (For collection of municipal taxes, local authorities make periodic survey of all buildings in their jurisdiction. Such value determined by the municipal authorities in respect of a property, is called as municipal value of the property.)
   2. Fair rent of the property (Fair Rent is the reasonable expected rent which the property can fetch. It can be determined on the basis of rent fetched by a similar property in the same or similar locality.)

If a property is covered under Rent Control Act, then the reasonable expected rent cannot exceed standard rent. Standard Rent is the maximum rent which a person can legally recover from his tenant under the Rent Control Act. Standard rent is applicable only in case of properties covered under Rent Control Act.

Compute actual rent of the propertyActual rent means the rent for which the property is let out during the year. While computing actual rent, rent pertaining to vacancy period is not to be deducted. However, unrealised rent* is to be deducted from actual rent if conditions specified in this regard are satisfied.* Unrealised rent is the rent of the property which the owner of the property could not recover from the tenant, i.e., rent not paid by the tenant. If following conditions are satisfied, then unrealised rent is to be deducted from actual rent of the year:

1. The tenancy is bona fide.
2. The defaulting tenant has vacated the property, or steps have been taken to compel him to vacate the property.
3. The defaulting tenant is not in occupation of any other property of the taxpayer.
4. The taxpayer has taken all steps to recover such amount, including legal proceedings or he satisfies the Assessing Officer that legal proceedings would be useless.

Compute gross annual valueGross annual value of a property which is let-out throughout the year will be higher of amount computed at I or II.

(If however, the Rent Control Act is applicable, the G.A.V. is the standard rent or rent received, whichever is higher).

Computation of gross annual value in the case of a property which is vacant for some time during the year

Where the property or any part of the property is let and was vacant during the whole or any part of the previous year and owing to such vacancy the actual rent received or receivable by the owner in respect thereof is less than the reasonable expected rent than the actual rent so received or receivable (as reduced by the vacant allowance) shall be considered to be the Gross Annual Value of the property.It may be noted that if the let out property was vacant for whole or any part of the previous year and owing to such vacancy the actual rent received or receivable is less than the sum referred to in clause (a) above, then the amount actually received/receivable shall be taken into account while computing the G.A.V. If any portion of the rent is unrealisable, (condition of unrealisability of rent are laid down in Rule 4 of I.T. Rules) then the same shall not be included in the actual rent received/receivable while computing the G.A.V. Net Annual Value (N.A.V.) is the G.A.V. less the municipal taxes paid by the owner. Only municipal taxes paid by the owner during the year can be deducted. Hence, municipal taxes due but not paid during the year cannot be deducted or taxes borne by the tenant cannot be deducted.Annual Value is the N.A.V. less the deductions available u/s 24.

Deductions available under Section 24

1. Deduction under section 24(a) @ 30% of Net Annual Value.
2. Deduction under section 24(b) on account of interest on capital borrowed for the purpose of purchase, construction, repair, renewal or reconstruction of the property. The provisions in this regard are as follows :Interest is classified as pre-construction period interest and post construction period interest.Post-construction period interest is the interest pertaining to the relevant year (i.e., the year for which income is being computed).Pre-construction period is the period commencing from the date of borrowing of loan and ends on earlier of the following:
   • Date of repayment of loan; or
   • 31st March immediately prior to the date of completion of the construction/acquisition of the property.
Interest pertaining to pre-construction period is allowed as deduction in five equal annual instalments, commencing from the year in which the house property is acquired or constructed. Thus, total deduction available to the taxpayer under section 24(b) on account of interest will be 1/5th of interest pertaining to pre-construction period (if any) + Interest pertaining to post construction period (if any).Deduction in case of let-out propertyDeduction under section 24(b) for interest accrued on loan taken for the purpose of purchase, construction, repair, renewal or reconstruction of the property is available without any limit. Deduction in case of Self occupied propertyA self-occupied property means a property owned by the taxpayer which is occupied throughout the year by the owner for the purposes of his own residence and is not actually let out during the whole or any part of the year. Thus, a property not occupied by the owner for his residence cannot be treated as a self occupied property. However, there is one exception to this rule. If the following conditions are satisfied, then the property can be treated as self-occupied and the annual value of a property will be 'Nil', even though the property is not occupied by the owner throughout the year for his residence:
1. The taxpayer owns the property;
2. Such property cannot actually be occupied by him owing to his employment, business or profession carried on at any other place and he has to reside at that other place in a building not owned by him;
3. The property mentioned in (a) above (or part thereof) is not actually let out at any time during the year;
4. No other benefit is derived from such property.
In case of a self occupied property, the limit for deduction is Rs. 2,00,000 (w.e.f. 01.04.2015. Earlier Rs. 150,000/-) or Rs. 30,000, as the case may be. If all the following conditions are satisfied, then the limit in respect of interest on borrowed capital will be Rs.2,00,000/- :
1. Capital is borrowed on or after 1-4-1999.
2. Capital is borrowed for the purpose of acquisition or construction (i.e., not for repair, renewal, reconstruction).
3. Acquisition or construction is completed within 3 years from the end of the financial year in which the capital was borrowed.
4. The person extending the loan certifies that such interest is payable in respect of the amount advanced for acquisition or construction of the house or as re-finance of the principal amount outstanding under an earlier loan taken for acquisition or construction of the property.
If any of the above condition is not satisfied, then the limit will be reduced to Rs. 30,000.