Income Tax Benefit on Housing Loan
On 1st February 2021, in Union Budget 2021 the government extended the additional tax deduction of Rs. 1.5 lakh on interest paid on housing loans for the purchase of affordable homes by one more year. Thus, borrowers can now avail a deduction of up to Rs. 3.5 Lakh for one more till March 31, 2022.
This deduction is available under Section 80 EEA which provides income tax benefits of up to Rs. 1.5 Lakh on the home loan interests paid. These home loan tax benefits are available over and above the existing exemption of Rs. 2 Lakh under Section 24(b).
These home loan tax exemptions can only be claimed to purchase houses with a stamped value of up to Rs. 45 Lakh. Homeowners can claim the benefits on loans availed till 31st March 2022. Thus, borrowers will be able to claim a maximum income tax deduction of Rs. 7 Lakh.
Income tax benefits under Section 80 EEA are available to those availing home loans in India under the PMAY CLSS scheme.
As per the new income tax rule, starting April 2022, no new home loans sanctioned in FY23 will be eligible to claim the tax benefits under section 80 EEA, seeing as the tax benefits period has lapsed.
Sections of the Income Tax Act that provide tax rebate on home loan:
Sections in the IT Act |
Nature of home loan deduction |
Maximum amount deductible |
Section 80C |
Deduction for principal repayment |
Rs. 1.5 lakh |
Section 24 |
Deduction for interest paid |
Rs. 2 lakh |
Section 80EE |
Additional interest tax benefit for first-time homebuyers |
Rs. 50,000 |
Types of deductions on housing loans
The Government of India extends these benefits as a form of relief to borrowers, making home purchase more affordable. On availing a home loan, you need to make monthly repayment in the form of EMIs, which include two primary components – the principal amount and interest payable. The IT Act enables borrowers to enjoy tax benefits on both these components individually.
1. Section 80C
These are the deductions under Section 80C
- Claim a maximum home loan tax deduction of up to Rs. 1.5 lakh from your taxable income on the principal repayment
- This may include stamp duty and registration charges as well, but can be claimed only once and in the same year that they are incurred
2. Section 24
These are the deductions under Section 24
- Enjoy maximum deductions of up to Rs. 2 lakh on the interest amount payable
- These deductions apply only on the property whose construction is finished within 5 years. If it doesn’t finish within this time frame, you can claim only up to Rs. 30,000
3. Section 80 EE
These are the deductions under Section 80 EE
- First-time home buyers can claim an additional Rs. 50,000 on the payable interest every financial year
- The home loan amount must not be more than Rs. 35 lakh
- The property’s value must be within Rs. 50 lakh
Some other conditions to note:
You may also note below pointers and avail benefit
- The tax exemption is applicable only when construction of the property is complete or you purchase a ready-to-move-in house
- Enjoy these tax benefits on home loans every year and save a significant amount
- If you sell off the property within 5 years of its possession, the claimed benefits are reversed and added to your taxable income
- You may purchase the property and let it out on rent. In that case, there is no maximum interest deduction applicable
- When availing the home loan, if you continue to rent another house where you presently reside, you can claim tax benefits against HRA as well
Tax Benefits on Home Loan: FAQs
In case of a home loan taken jointly, both borrowers can enjoy tax benefits on his/ her taxable income individually. This includes a maximum of Rs. 2 lakh on the interest paid and up to Rs. 1.5 lakh on the principal amount.
Any family member, friend or even the spouse can be a co-borrower of a joint home loan from Bajaj Finserv. The only condition is that every applicant of the housing loan must be a co-owner of that residential property.
If you take a second home loan to purchase another property, tax benefits are applicable on the interest paid. Here, you can claim the entire interest amount paid as no cap is applied.
Currently, individuals can claim only one property as self-occupied and make tax payments on the other based on notional rent. According to the latest Union Budget of India, a proposal has been put forward stating that an individual can claim a second home as self-occupied property. This aims to help borrowers save more in the form of taxes.
The process to claim tax benefits on a home loan is easy and simple.
- Make sure the residential property is in your name. In case of a joint home loan, ensure you are the house’s co-owner
- Calculate the total amount you can claim as a tax deduction
- Hand over the home loan interest certificate to your employer for adjusting the TDS
- If you fail to follow this step, file your IT returns
Self-employed borrowers need not submit these documents. However, they must keep these handy if a query arises in the future.
The maximum tax deductible for a home loan is listed below under specified sections of the Income Tax Act 1961.
- Up to Rs. 2 lakh u/s 24 for self-occupied house; no limit for non-self-occupied house
- Up to Rs. 1.5 lakh u/s 80C
- Up to Rs. 1.5 lakh u/s 80EEA for first-time home buyers
A person who has purchased a new house for self-occupation or to rent out can claim tax exemption on home loans u/s 24, 80C and 80EEA of the Income Tax Act, 1961. You can also claim tax benefits if you are a co-owner of the house or a co-borrower.
Yes, you can claim home loan tax benefits for a property under construction u/s 80C. The following rules apply for such deduction.
- If the construction is completed within 5 years, a deduction of Rs. 2 lakh is applicable
- For constructions not completed within 5 years, only up to Rs. 30,000 is deductible
Premiums paid for a home loan protection insurance plan are tax deductible under section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961 only if the borrower makes repayment. Under specific circumstances, where the lender finances such an insurance plan and the borrower repays via loan EMIs, deductions are not allowed.
A home loan top-up is eligible for tax deduction u/s 24(b) and 80C only if it is used for:
- Acquisition/ construction of a residential property
- Renovation or repair of such property
Such a claim should also be backed up with valid receipts and documents.
An income tax calculator is one of the best tools to compute the tax benefits without any hassle. It is an online tool that instantly calculates the amount based on certain home loan details. Some of these include home loan amount, rate of interest, existing tax deductions, and gross annual salary. Simply enter the details required and check the tax benefits you can avail.
Yes, on 1st February, 2021, in the Union Budget 2021 government extended the additional tax deduction of Rs. 1.5 lakh on interest paid on home loan for the purchase of affordable homes until March 31, 2022.
Purchasing a property is a significant investment decision. To avail the most competitive home loan interest rate along with other benefits, approach Bajaj Finserv.
The maximum housing loan tax benefit is Rs. 1.5 lakh on principal payment. Here, claims can include registration charges or stamp duty as well.
As per Section 80, EEA, and the government initiative of ‘Housing for All,' home loan interest deductions were allowed, starting from the year 2021 or FY 2021-22.
From April 2022, new income tax rules apply: First-time home buyers will not be eligible to receive tax benefits under Section 80 EEA on new housing loans sanctioned in FY23 as the special benefits announced in Budget 2019 expired on March 31, 2022.
If an applicant satisfies the requirements of both Sections 80EE and 24 of the I-T Act, they must first exhaust the limit under Section 24, then claim benefits of home loan interest deduction under Section 80EE.
Joint home loan borrowers can claim individual home loan rebates in income tax up to Rs. 2 lakh on interest paid and Rs. 1.5 lakh on the principal amount.
