A "low interest" loan shouldn't mean you have very little interest in paying it back!
Taking a home loan can help you save tax as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Even more so after the announcements made during the latest financial budget.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the budget speech proposed to extend the deadline for availing additional deductions on interest payment on home loans to 31 March 2024. This comes after the government had in the previous budget extended the deadline to 31 March 2022. The extension on home loans till 31 March 2024 is applicable for all home loans sanctioned till 31 March 2022.
While a housing loan can help you get a house for yourself, it can also turn out to an expensive affair. But the various tax benefits that come with such a loan help you save money every year. Take a look at how you can make the most of these benefits.
The following table gives you the tax benefits under the corresponding sections of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
| Income Tax Act | Maximum Deductible Amount |
| Section 24 | Rs.2 lakh per annum |
| Section 80C | Rs.1.5 lakh per annum |
| Section 80EE | Rs.50,000 |
Here are updates from the latest budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 1 February 2021:
Section 80C deals with the principal amount deductions:
For interest paid on home loans for affordable housing, an additional Rs.1.5 lakh tax deduction under Section 80EE can be availed till 31 March 2022. This is applicable for loans that were received till 31 March 2024. The total income tax deduction that can be availed would now be up to Rs.7 lakh for this time period.
If the housing loan is availed by two or more persons, each of them is eligible to claim a deduction on the interest paid up to Rs.2 lakh each. Tax can be deducted on the principal paid as well for an amount up to Rs.1.5 lakhs each. However, all the applicants should also be co-owners of the property in order to claim this deduction. Therefore, a joint home loan can give you greater tax benefits.
Here is the list of deductions you can claim for a joint home loan:
| Deductions | Maximum Deduction | Section of the Income Tax Act | Terms |
| Interest | Rs.2 lakh | 24b | For buying or constructing a new house which must be completed within five years from the financial year end in which the loan was availed. |
| Interest | Rs.1.5 lakh | 80EEA | For property which has a stamp value of up to Rs.45 lakh. |
| Interest | Rs.50,000 | 80EE | For loan amount of up to Rs.35 lakh and for property value of up to Rs.50 lakh. |
| Principal | Rs.1.5 lakh | 80C | Sale of property should not be done before 5 years of possession is completed. |
| Stamp Duty | Rs.1.5 lakh | 80C | Should be claimed in the same financial year as it was spent. |
As per the current provisions, tax benefits are applicable on payable interests. You can claim the entire paid interest amount.
It has been proposed that the second self-occupied home can also be claimed as a self-occupied one to help borrowers save more on taxes.
Claiming tax benefits on home loan is a simple process. Below are the steps to claim your tax deduction.
Step 1: Calculate the tax deduction to be claimed.
Step 2: Ensure that the house is in your name or you are the co-borrower of the loan.
Step 3: Submit your home loan interest certificate to your employer to adjust the tax deductible at source.
Step 4: In case you don’t perform the above step, you would have to file the tax return by yourself.
Step 5: In case you are self-employed, you are not required to submit these documents anywhere. Just keep them handy if in case the IT department raises queries in the future.
The easiest way to calculate your tax benefits on home loan is by using an online calculator. Simply enter your home loan details and click on calculate and a detailed tabulation will pop up. The details you will generally need are:
If you sell the property within 5 years of possession, any tax deductions already claimed will be reversed. However, the tax exemptions on interest paid will remain unchanged.
The owner of the property can claim tax benefits. If the spouse is a co-borrower, they can also file for tax deductions. In the case of a joint loan, both parties can claim for their share of the loan they pay.
You cannot claim tax deductions till the construction is completed. Once it is completed, you can claim an aggregate of interest paid for the period prior to the year of taking possession. This can be claimed in five equal instalments from the year in which construction is completed.
You can claim for tax deduction under Section 24(b) only for the interest paid. The friend will have to provide you with a certificate and will be liable to pay tax on the interest earned from the loan.
Generally, tax benefits can be availed only on the house claimed as self-occupied. In case if you own two houses, only one of them can be claimed as self-occupied property. The other house will be considered as a let-out property and will be taxed as per the tax slab applicable. The notional rent on your second house will be added to your income.
Yes, you can claim separate deductions in your IT returns if your spouse is employed and has a seperate source of income. You can both claim deduction under Section 80C up to Rs.1.50 lakh from your total income. If the house is jointly owned, each co-owner can claim deductions up to Rs.2 lakh on account of the interest on borrowed money.
Yes, home loan principal is part of Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. Under this section, an individual is entitled to tax deductions on the amount paid as repayment of the principal component on the housing loan. An amount up to Rs.1.50 lakh can be claimed as tax deductions under Section 80C. However, the tax benefit on the repayment of the principal amount can be claimed only after the house is constructed. The section does not allow deductions for the repayment of the principal cpmponent during the years the house was being constructed.
You can also claim tax deductions in respect of the interest on the housing loan under Section 80EE of the Income Tax Act. Under this section, an individual is entitled to claim tax deductions up to a maximum amount of Rs.1.5 lakh during a financial year.
Yes, you can avail tax benefits on the principal amount repaid on the home loan from total income under Section 80C.
Under Section 24 of the Income Tax Act, an individual can claim tax deduction of the interest payment on the housing loan up to a maximum amount of Rs.2,00,000.
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