5 important facts on home loan tax benefits in India

Buying a home is one of the major decisions of one’s life and almost every body who takes a home loan has to go to a bank or financial institution to get his home financed. The money involved in a home loan is often a very big sum. Government of India has given some tax benefits on home loans in India to decrease the burden of buying a home in India. Here are 5 important facts about these tax benefits.

1. Both interest and principal components of home loan attract tax benefits. Persons who have taken a loan to buy a home or for construction can claim these deductions under the section 24(b) of the Income Tax Act.

1. The deduction on interest component on home loan is available up to Rs. 1.5 lakhs if the loan was taken on or after April 1, 1999 to buy or build a property. The purchase or construction should be completed within three years from the end of the financial year in which the loan was taken. In addition to it a certification from the lending banks is needed to certify that interest is payable against the loan advanced to buy or construct a house.

1. These deductions are only available if you continue to make payments. If a borrower fails to make EMI payments on time, he cannot claim tax benefits on the amount supposed to have been paid.

1. If a person buys a house and sells it within the same year or before three years, he is liable to pay short term capital gains tax. But, if the sale had taken place after three years, he is liable to pay long term capital gains tax. Long-term capital gains are exempt from tax if the profit amounts are invested in capital gains tax-saving bonds as detailed under Section 54.

1. Only a person who has taken a home loan can claim tax deductions. If there are co-borrowers of the home loan, the deduction they can claim is limited to the extent to the part of the loan they repay.