Manager - Finance & Accounts
58323 Points
Joined June 2010
Hi Kalyani — this is a very relevant and commonly misunderstood issue. Let’s clarify it step by step.
🧾 Legal Background:
Under Section 194-IA of the Income Tax Act:
🧑🤝🧑 Joint Ownership – Buyers' Perspective:
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In your case, your parents are buying jointly, with each contributing ₹28 lakhs (50%).
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Individually, their share does not exceed ₹50 lakhs, so TDS should not apply individually.
✅ This interpretation is correct and supported by multiple expert opinions and CBDT responses.
BUT…
🧾 Registrar’s View: Based on Aggregate Value
The sub-registrar is looking at the total property value — ₹56 lakhs — and treating it as one transaction, not two separate ones.
📌 This is because:
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There’s only one sale deed (not two).
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Sellers are also jointly selling it.
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The property is being transferred as a whole, so TDS under Section 194-IA gets triggered.
✅ CBDT and Practical View (Based on Precedents):
As per a CBDT clarification (FAQ from TRACES) and several legal interpretations:
If the share of each buyer is definite and known, and their respective consideration is below ₹50 lakhs, then Section 194-IA is not triggered individually.
However, the Income Tax Department and Registrars generally insist on deduction if the total sale consideration in the document exceeds ₹50 lakh, regardless of the number of buyers.
✔️ Conclusion: What You Should Do
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💡 Technically, your reasoning is valid.
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❗ Practically, you will be forced to deduct TDS if:
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The total sale value in the registered deed is ₹56 lakh, and
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The registration is done via one single deed, not two.
💡 Suggested Options:
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Deduct 1% TDS on total ₹56 lakhs (i.e., ₹56,000) and file two Form 26QBs — one in each buyer’s name for ₹28,000 each.
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Alternatively, register the property as two separate transactions, each < ₹50L. But this requires the cooperation of sellers and registrar.
🧾 Filing Form 26QB:
✅ TL;DR:
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Yes, sub-registrar’s version is practically enforced, though it’s not strictly mandated by the language of Section 194-IA.
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To avoid complications, deduct and deposit TDS on full ₹56L (split 50:50) and file Form 26QB accordingly.
Would you like help drafting the Form 26QB filings or any clarification to present to the registrar?