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                   173 Points
                   Joined November 2009
                
               
			  
			  
             
            
              dharmesh,     for trading in shares if the shares are listed on a stock exchange,traded through it then holding for a time gap of 1 year would be considered as long term. shares purchased and sold in a stock exchange are subject to stt(securities transaction tax ) such shares if held for 1 year or more, dont attract any capital gains u/s 10(38). if held for less than 1 year, then it is short term and gains are taxed at 15% rate.
if they are traded else where, the peroid of 3 years holding is considered as long term. they are subject to 2 options of taxation. 10% tax without indexation or 20% tax with indexation, which ever is beneficial to the assesee. anything held  for less than 3 years is considered as short term.