Respite for the first timers

Are you looking to buy a house for the first time? Thanks to the Union Budget of 2013, you can heave a sigh of relief as new loans up to Rs.25 lakh will be eligible for an additional tax deduction of Rs.1 lakh for interest payments. This is their way of encouraging people to buy their first home ever. Good move, and definitely deserves a sigh of relief.

However, this is of course on for the financial year of 2013-14 as of now. So that means, a person taking a loan of up to Rs.25 lakh for his first home between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014, will be entitled to an additional deduction of interest of up to Rs.1 lakh. Apart from being beneficial to first time buyers, this move will also boost a number of industries like steel, cement, brick, wood and glass, besides giving jobs to thousands of construction workers. With this, the total deduction for interest payment for 2013-14 will be Rs.2.5 lakh. If the interest component is less than the deduction limit, the balance can be claimed in the next financial year.

With the advent of this benefit, taxpayers can continue to claim deductions up to Rs.1 lakh for repayment of home loan principal within the overall limit of Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. There are a few areas to look into though, as can be the case with any rule or law.

1. A deduction of up to Rs.1.5 lakh for interest payment (under Section 24B) is allowed if the house is ready and occupied by the taxpayer.

2. Any pre-construction interest is allowed to be deducted in five equal instalments within the Rs.1.5 lakh limit after the house is ready.

3. If the house has been let out, the taxpayer can claim the entire interest component as deduction from the rental income.

This move is definitely very encouraging for buyers on the lookout as well as opportunities in real estate, both of which will see a significant rise as per predictions of many.