Capital gain calculation

Murali (xxx) (25 Points)

05 July 2015  

My sister-in-law owns a site in Hosur,Salem Dist, Tamil Nadu which she bought 15 years ago at approx. Rs 30,000. She would like to sell the same now. The problem she is facing is multiple buyers/brokers are willing to pay her only approx. Rs 10 Lacs for her 2400 sqft site. Let us call, this as the market rate. At the same time the TN government's published land rates in that area is Rs 1200/sqft. This would work out to approx. Rs 28.80 Lacs.

We were also informed that the sub-registrar office would calculate stamp duty & registration charges based on the Government published rates, which would work out to approx. 2.30 Lacs.

The dilemna in front of us is that the buyer would make a sale agreement for Rs 10 Lacs only and the registrar office is going to issue all receipts based on the land value of Rs 28.8 Lacs. For Income Tax calculation what would be used as the sale value of the land?

I read someplace earlier that the income tax authorities would only use the receipts used by the registrar office for the land valuation and not the land sale value put in the sale agreement.

How do we calculate capital gains in such a case? Would income tax authorities agree with the value of land mentioned in the sale agreement and would this be an issue of debate with the income tax assessment officer in future?

Would appreciate your response to these queries to decide on the said sale. Thanks