Is there exemption on rent in new regime?

—Dilip Saksena

Under the new tax regime (applicable for AY2024-25), with respect to let-out house property, a taxpayer can claim deduction of municipal tax paid from the gross rent to arrive at the annual value of the let-out property.

Further, deduction of 30% of the annual value and interest payable if any towards housing loan also continues to be available for determining the income from house property. However, any loss generated under the said head of income, on account of this deduction, cannot be set off against income from any other head of income in the same year or carried forward to any subsequent years, under the new tax regime.

Deduction towards principal repayment of housing loan will not be available under the new tax regime.

It is mandatory to declare ownership of any foreign stocks in the income tax returns (ITRs). However, how do we declare the ownership of foreign mutual funds and index funds?

—Name withheld on request

As per the ITR forms for fiscal 2022-23, if you are a resident and ordinarily resident (ROR) in India, you should report the foreign mutual funds, index funds in ‘Schedule FA–details of foreign assets and Income from any source outside India’ under the relevant subhead.

Since mutual funds and index funds are likely to be in the nature of equity/debt linked funds, the same is disclosed in the sub-head ‘A3 – details of foreign equity and debt interest held in any entity’.

The prescribed details such as date of acquiring the interest, initial value and peak value, closing value of investment, gross amount paid or credited, gross proceeds from sale or redemption of investment, etc., are required to be reported herein, for the calendar year ended 31 December.

Depending upon the nature of investment just in case they do not fit in table A3, you may consider reporting in the sub-head ‘D- details of any other capital asset held’ or any other sub-head as applicable and provide the details prescribed therein.

If your total income exceeds ₹50 lakh, then these foreign mutual funds and index funds should also be reported in ‘Schedule AL-assets and liabilities’, at cost, under the sub-head ‘Shares and securities’ as at 31 March.

Income, if any, from these securities should also be reported in the relevant income schedules of the ITR.

Parizad Sirwalla is partner and head, global mobility services, tax, KPMG in India.

Updated: 23 Jul 2023, 09:38 PM IST