In case of long-term capital gains, the tax liability is computed using two methods i.e. with indexation (charged at 20% plus surcharge) and without indexation (charged at 10% plus surcharge); the tax liability will be the lower of the two.
Simply put, indexation means adjusting the cost of the capital asset (in this case a mutual fund), by incorporating the impact of inflation during the period of holding i.e. the period between the purchase date and the date of transfer/sale. An example will help us better understand the same.
Say an investor Mr. A purchases units of Gilt Fund on April 1, 2010; he buys 1,000 units at Rs 10.00 each. He decides to sell his entire holding on April 1, 2011; on the date of sale, the net asset value (NAV) of each unit is Rs 10.90. While computing his tax-liability, Mr. A needs to compute the gains using both the methods i.e. with indexation and without indexation. In the latter, the capital gains amount to Rs 900 (Rs 10,900 less Rs 10,000).
Conversely, for computing the capital gains taking into account the indexation benefits, the Cost Inflation Index (CII) needs to be factored in. The CII for the year of purchase i.e. 2010 is 730, while that for the year of sale i.e. 2011 is 785.
The indexed cost of purchase is computed as follows:
(Cost of purchase X CII - year of sale) / (CII - year of purchase)
How indexation works
Cost of purchase (I)
|
Rs 10,000
|
|
Sale proceeds (II) |
Rs 10,900 |
| CII - Year of purchase |
730 |
|
CII - Year of sale |
785 |
| Indexed cost of purchase (III) |
Rs 10,753 |
|
Capital gains (with indexation) (II - III) |
Rs 146 |
| Capital gains (without indexation) (II - I) |
Rs 900 |
| Tax liability (with indexation) |
Rs 29.3 |
| Tax liability (without indexation) |
Rs 90 |
As can be seen in the table above, t he capital gains, after factoring in indexation amounts to Rs 146 vis-vis Rs 900 without indexation. The tax liability would be the lower of Rs 29.3 (with indexation) than Rs 90 (Without indexation)
Note : Investors are requested to consult their own tax advisors and the example stated above, is only for explanation purpose and should not be construed as tax advice.