Tax treatment of compensation awarded by court/ builder

Tax queries 5402 views 6 replies

Hi All!

A client of mine invested in a housing project and had paid most part of the cost of the flat after taking loan from bank.

The housng project however could not be completed and the builder failed to deliver the completed flat to the client. Letter of allotment however was issued to him at the initial level itself while entereing into the agreement.

My client and others filed a case in court and after about 7-8 years, the court issued orders that the cost of the property along with interest at 8% p.a. be returned to my client and others like him by the builder. So, my client received a big lump sum amount which included original cost of the flat plus interest for all the years together.

My query is that how should this amount be treated for taxability in his Income tax return?

- Should the total amount be taxed in the year of receipt as revenue receipt or should this be treated as capital receipt?

- Should I ignore the cost of flat part and just show te interest part as income?

- What should be the tax treatment of this interest part- revenue income or is this a capital receipt since it is related to a capital asset.

- Should not this interest part be bifurcated over all the years to which it relates and then taxed in the return of each such year thereby reducing the tax burden on my client?

There was a court case also which can be applied here, some experts have pointed this out on the caclubindia forum earlier:-

- https://www.caclubindia.com/forum/will-compensation-received-from-builder-attract-cgas-377748.asp

- https://home.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2014/01/Subhas-Chandra-Parmanandka.pdf

 

Would request all members and experts to help me out here.

 

Thanks in Advance!

Replies (6)

Please HELP!!!!!

Supreme Court recently directed Supertech to refund the money to those who had booked flats in the Apex and Ceyane Towers and now wanted to opt out of the project. A petition was filed against the real estate firm, saying it had changed the plan of the building from 11 floors to 40 floors without the necessary permission and this would affect the safety of other residents.

The court ruled the buildings should be demolished and ordered the builder to refund the money to those who had booked flats. Buyers had paid Rs 70-90 lakh as principal amount. The court also ordered the builder to pay 14 per cent compoundable interest on the amount paid by the home buyers, from 2009 (when work on the two towers began). The two towers had a total of 857 apartments, of which 600 were sold. Of the 600 buyers, 53 have opted for refunds, with the remaining agreeing to the builder’s offer of an alternative flat.

There are several cases in which courts order compensation or refund to for faulty products, is considered as capital receipt. So, if the refund was in the form of cancellation of the right to the apartment, there would be no tax and the amounts paid to all buyers would be same.

But in case, the amount paid to home buyers will be different because it will depend on how much each buyer had paid for the flat. So, when it is a refund/interest, it doesn’t come under capital gains tax, but will be added to other income and taxed accordingly.

Nupur,Were you able to solve this matter.I am also being affected by same.Can you tell me the outcome if you have found some.Thanks in advance.

Hi Nupur -

 

Can you plz suggest if you got a solution to this one plz.. 

 

Thanks, 

Hi Neeraj,

 

Can you suggest if you got a solution to this one.. plz ..

 

Thanks.. 

Hi Nupur & Neeraj,

Recently I have also come across such a case and I want both of your help. Has anyone of you solved the case? If yes please guide me. I will be highly obliged.


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