New
financial year - New assessment year - Time for filing tax returns
Are
you ready to file income tax return before July 31st?
When we are
filing our tax returns this year, we should understand and incorporate the new
proposals while arriving at the capital gains of our equity-based investments.
As per the recent budget, the capital gains are taxed differently. Major
changes are in place.
Grandfathering in equity capital gains
What
is the change?
Old
law: All equity capital gains of more than a year are tax free
New
law: Capital gains received before 31/01/18 are non-taxable as
earlier but the capital gains received after 31/01/18 are taxable with an
exemption of capital gain up to the first one lakh. This is applicable to all
equity based investments. This concept of capital gain exemption till 31st Jan
18 is called Grandfathering in equity capital gain calculations. The term was
coined in budget speech and is being widely used in media.
For
seasoned investors, this may be easy to understand. For the remaining, it may
be confusing. When we sit with pen and paper or in front of the computer to
calculate the taxable capital gain portion, it is a herculean task for sure.
Even if it is done by third party providers like charted accountants or online
portals, to review capital gain calculations we need to very clearly understand
the concept of Grandfathering in equity capital gain and convince ourselves
that the calculations are correct, and the tax arrived is in order.
Applicability of Grandfathering in equity capital gain
Let us
understand when and where Grandfathering in equity capital gain is applicable:
1.
Long term capital gains and not for short term capital gains -
Securities holding period should be more than one year
2.
Equity based investments and not for debt-based investments
3.
Both investments
a.
Trading in stocks
b.
Equity based mutual fund investments
4.
Purchased before 31/01/18
5.
Sold after 31/01/18
Example: Securities
bought on first March 2017 and sold on first May 2018. Here the total holding
period is more than a year. The period between 01/03/17 and 31/01/18 is less
than one year but applicable for grand fathering concept.
Calculation of Grandfathering in equity capital gain
Previously
to arrive at capital gains we need the sales price (sp)
and the buy price (bp). Only these two values and their
corresponding dates. But in the case of grandfathering concept we need three
values. The actual sales price (sp), the buy price (bp)
and the market price of the same security on 31 Jan 18 (MP310118). These three
prices and their corresponding dates are required. Keep in mind that it is not
possible to arrive at the grandfathering concept of capital gains with only two
values as in the old case.
Please
refer the excel table / the provided template. Formulae and steps used to
arrive the value
1)
First step is to collect the market price of our securities sold
as on 31/01/2018. This is over and above usual buy and sell prices. Price of
security on 31/01/2018 is referred as (MP310118.
2)
Out of all our sold transactions, we need to pick the transactions
that are eligible for the grandfathering concept - use the following techniques
a.
Sdate (Sold
Date) > 31/01/2018
b.
BDate (Bought
Date) < 31/01/2018
c.
Sold security is equity-based product (eq
or db)
3)
To arrive at the taxable capital gain, let us use the revised
purchase (MPRevised) price. As per the formulae used here - compare
BP, SP, MP310118
a.
SP >
MP310118 > BP then MPRevised = MP310118 (Refer sno
2)
b.
MP310118
< BP and MP310118 < SP then MPRevised = BP
(Refer sno 3)
c.
SP <
MP310118 < BP then MPRevised = SP (Refer sno 5)
4) Using the revised
purchase price, the revised bought amount is calculated (BAmountR)
5)
Revised profit and loss amount (PnLR) are arrived
using the revised purchase value
6)
We need to pay capital gain tax for this revised profit/loss
after due indexation
Refer the
table to understand this better. You can write to us through contact form to
get the working template in excel with all formulae in place https://radhaconsultancy.blogspot.com/2016/10/email-me.html
Conclusion
When using
third party service provider’s data, please check thoroughly if their working
is correct. Everyone uses different methods to arrive at the value and at the
end of the day the arrived value should be same for all - Please ensure this
before filing returns.
Tips
Since
mutual funds have undergone major scheme classifications in the past financial
year, keep in mind that the merger of schemes and the change in units need not
be considered for capital gain, unless otherwise you have intentionally made a switch
or redemption. Be careful about this point and confirm that the arrived capital
gains are correct in this regard also - for example money manager fund in idfc
is merged into a new low duration scheme - this change should not reflect in
your capital gain. Your money manager units are now zero and all the units are suitably
moved into the merged scheme. If any third-party providers have worked in a different
way, please get this clarified with them.
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