Cost of acquisition rules clarified: FMV option and acquisition cost deemed nil when indeterminable, affecting capital gains computation.
Clause 90 defines cost of improvement as nil for intangible assets and permits post reference date expenditure for other assets; sets cost of acquisition as purchase price or previous owner's purchase price and deems cost nil where indeterminable; provides tailored rules for financial assets to avoid taxing non economic gains; and allows a fair market value option as cost of acquisition for earlier acquisitions to reflect market and inflationary changes.

Extension of time for reinvesting capital gains tied to receipt of compensation preserves exemption eligibility after compulsory acquisition.
Where an original asset is compulsorily acquired and compensation is delayed, the period for acquiring a new asset or depositing or investing capital gains is calculated from the date of receipt of compensation rather than the date of transfer; Clause 89 of the Income Tax Bill, 2025, states this rule and declares it to operate irrespective of conflicting timelines in specified sections, and Section 54H of the Income-tax Act, 1961, operates on a comparable principle tied to specified reinvestment provisions.

Capital gains exemption for industrial relocations to SEZs conditions relief on reinvestment in new SEZ assets and deposit rules.
Clause 88 grants a capital gains exemption when assessees transfer assets while shifting an industrial undertaking from an urban area to an SEZ, conditional on reinvesting gains into new SEZ assets within the prescribed investment window; unutilized gains must be deposited in a specified account and any excess of gains over the cost of new assets is taxable. Eligibility centers on assets used in the undertaking and utilisation for notified SEZ investments, with deposits treated as part of the new asset's cost for calculating the exemption.

Capital gains exemption for industrial relocation to non urban areas conditional on reinvestment and deposit requirements.
Exemption of capital gains on transfer of assets for industrial undertakings shifting from urban to non urban areas is subject to reinvestment in qualifying assets (machinery, plant, buildings, land or rights therein) acquired within the prescribed timeframe; any shortfall between capital gains and cost of new assets is taxable, and unutilised gains must be deposited in a specified bank or institution before filing the return, with untapped deposits taxed after the statutory period; the definition of urban area and scheme specified expenditure govern eligibility.

Capital gains exemption for residential reinvestment preserved with clearer compliance and monetary caps under the 2025 proposal.
Clause 86 provides a capital gains exemption for individuals and HUFs who reinvest long-term capital gains from specified asset transfers (excluding residential houses) into a residential house in India within prescribed purchase or construction timeframes. The exemption is proportional when net consideration exceeds the replacement cost and full when replacement cost equals or exceeds net consideration. Unutilised gains must be deposited under a notified government scheme before filing returns, and exempted gains become taxable if the replacement asset is transferred within three years. Ownership of multiple residential houses or acquisition of another house within specified periods disqualifies the exemption.

Capital gains deferral on compulsory acquisition permits tax relief when compensation is reinvested in similar industrial assets.
Clause 84 provides a deferral regime for capital gains on compulsory acquisition where compensation reinvested in similar industrial land or buildings within three years is either exempt or adjusts the cost basis: excess gains over new asset cost are taxed as income and the new asset's cost is set to nil for future computations, while gains equal to or below cost reduce the asset's cost. Unutilised gains must be deposited by the return filing due date and are treated as part of the deemed cost; unutilised amounts after the specified period are charged as income and subject to notified withdrawal rules.

Capital gains exemption for reinvestment in specified bonds preserves non taxability subject to retention and anti abuse rules.
Clause 85 provides that capital gains from transfer of long term assets are not charged if the assessee reinvests whole or part of such gains in government notified bonds within six months, subject to a per year investment ceiling and a specified retention period; transfers, conversions, or loans against the new asset within the lock in are treated as taxable events and investments claiming this exemption cannot simultaneously claim alternative deductions.

Tax treatment for foreign securities clarified, enhancing investor certainty and tightening compliance obligations for cross border instruments.
The Finance Bill, 2025 amendments clarify tax treatment for securities held by foreign investors by defining covered instruments for FIIs and specified funds under applicable regulatory compliance, expand coverage to include over the counter derivatives while removing ambiguous intermediary language, and strengthen assessment provisions to address inconsistencies and undisclosed income; Part IV validates pension classification authority to distinguish pension entitlements by retirement date.

IFSC tax incentives expanded to ease fund relocations, clarify exemptions, and simplify non resident taxation.
Amendments relax compliance for investment funds by easing indirect participation thresholds and restoring executive modification powers; expand the relocation regime to include retail schemes and ETFs for tax neutral transfers into the IFSC; introduce a presumptive taxation scheme for non residents providing technology services for electronics manufacturing with exclusions for permanent establishment and royalty rules; correct and align IFSC insurance and specified fund exemptions with IFSCA conditions; extend derivative transaction exemptions to FPIs in the IFSC; refocus Chapter XIV B on undisclosed income and add Section 143(1) checks for return inconsistencies; and broaden the definition of capital asset to include securities held by Alternative Investment Funds under SEBI and IFSCA.

Capital gains exemption for agricultural land: reinvest sale proceeds in new agricultural land within two years to defer tax.
Capital gains on transfer of agricultural land are not charged if proceeds are reinvested in new agricultural land within two years by individuals or HUFs who used the land for agriculture in the two years prior. Unutilised gains at filing must be deposited in a specified bank account and applied under a government-notified scheme; unused deposits after the prescribed period are taxed and may be withdrawn per the scheme. Excess gains are taxed under the bill's taxing provision and the new asset's cost is treated as nil for subsequent gains if sold within three years; otherwise the cost basis is reduced by the capital gains.

Capital gains reinvestment relief: deferral for gains when proceeds are reinvested in residential property with deposit safeguards.
Clause 82 permits deferral or exemption of capital gains from sale of residential property where proceeds are reinvested in another residential property, treating gains exceeding the new asset's cost as taxable. Unutilized gains must be deposited in a specified bank or institution under a notified scheme and such deposits count toward the new asset's cost. Deposited amounts not applied within the prescribed period become taxable though the clause provides for withdrawal of unused sums. The clause allows a one time option to invest in two houses subject to a gain threshold and imposes caps on eligible cost and gains to target relief.

Advance money treatment: deduction from cost of acquisition barred where the advance was included in total income.
Clause 81 requires that advance money retained during negotiations for transfer of a capital asset be deducted from the cost of acquisition (original cost, written down value, or fair market value) but prohibits that deduction where the advance has already been included in the assessee's total income under the statutory provision referenced, aligning with Section 51's objective while differing in the cross references and raising compliance and interpretive issues.

Fair market value deemed consideration: FMV used to compute capital gains when actual consideration is indeterminate.
Where actual consideration for transfer of a capital asset is not ascertainable, the fair market value (FMV) of the asset on the transfer date is to be deemed the full value of consideration for capital gains computation. Determination may use comparable sales, income, or cost approaches, but unique or illiquid assets and absence of standardized methods create practical valuation disputes. Taxpayers must substantiate FMV and authorities need valuation frameworks to ensure consistent application and prevent understatement of taxable gains.

Fair market value deemed consideration for unquoted share transfers to prevent undervaluation and ensure correct capital gains computation.
Deemed full consideration for transfer of unquoted shares is the fair market value when actual consideration is lower; fair market value must be determined by prescribed valuation procedures, with exemptions available for specified classes or conditions, and compliance requires documentation, qualified valuation and potential administrative guidelines to resolve disputes.

Full value of consideration deemed to stamp duty valuation; safe harbor permits minor discrepancies and valuation review.
Where declared consideration for transfer of land or buildings is less than the stamp duty valuation, the stamp duty value is deemed the full value of consideration for capital gains purposes; the stamp duty value as at the agreement date may apply if consideration is received through prescribed banking channels before the agreement date. A limited safe harbor accepts declared consideration within a narrow margin above stamp duty valuation. Assessing Officers may seek Valuation Officer review where the stamp duty value is disputed, and Clause 78 defines assessable as the value adopted for stamp duty purposes.

Capital gains treatment for slump sales clarified: net worth valuation and accountant certification required for tax computation.
The computation treats the net worth of the transferred undertaking-aggregate assets less liabilities, excluding revaluation increases-as the cost of acquisition; where lump sum consideration diverges from market values, the fair market value of assets on the transfer date is deemed the full value of consideration. Depreciable assets use written down value, certain goodwill and specified assets are valued at nil, and an accountant's report certifying the net worth computation is required.

Market Linked Debenture tax treatment: gains treated as short-term capital gains irrespective of holding period.
Clause 76 mandates that gains on Market Linked Debentures and specified debt instruments be treated as short-term capital gains irrespective of holding period, prescribes computation as full consideration less cost of acquisition and transaction expenditure (X = A - B - C), disallows deduction for Securities Transaction Tax, and defines covered assets and specified mutual funds to determine applicability.

Cost of acquisition adjustment: depreciable assets' acquisition cost tied to written down value, altering capital gains computation.
Clause 75 treats the written down value of a depreciable asset, where depreciation has been claimed, as the cost of acquisition for capital gains purposes and directs that set-off and carry forward provisions apply subject to this modification, thereby aligning gain or loss on disposal with the asset's depreciated value.

Computation of capital gains on depreciable assets: revised short term treatment under an overriding block based formula.
Clause 74 creates an overriding framework for computing capital gains on depreciable asset blocks: if consideration from transfer exceeds transfer expenses plus the block's written down value at the year's start and additions during the year, the excess is treated as short term capital gains; on complete cessation of a block, acquisition cost is the opening written down value adjusted for acquisitions and resulting income is treated as short term capital gains.

Cost of acquisition rules designate deemed cost for non purchase transfers, preserving prior owner's cost with specified formulas.
Clause 73 prescribes the deemed cost of acquisition for assets received by gift, will, inheritance or similar transfers as the cost incurred by the previous owner, adjusted for improvements; it prescribes fair market value for assets declared under the Income Declaration Scheme and specific formulae for units in mutual funds, business trusts and segregated portfolios, and ties cost continuity to original assets in corporate reorganisations.