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Explanation of Cost Inflation Index (CII)
The price of a product increases overtime, and this brings down the purchasing power of money. The Purchasing power of money can be referred as the quantity of goods that one unit of money can buy. Say, if 5 items can be bought for Rs. 500 today, tomorrow you may only be able to buy 4 items at the same rate on account of inflation. Cost inflation index calculates the estimated rise in the cost of goods and assets year-by-year as a result of inflation. It is fixed by the central government in its official gazette to measure inflation. Section 48 of the Indian Income Tax Act, 1961, defines the index as notified by the government every year. Cost Inflation Index is a measure of inflation, used to calculate long-term capital gains from sale of capital assets. “Capital Gains” is the profit that you make from selling an asset, which can be real estate, jewellery, stock, etc. The entire process - where the capital asset’s cost price is adjusted with the effect of inflation using the cost inflation index number - is referred to as “INDEXATION”. Cost Inflation Index (CII) is used for calculating the estimated increase in the prices of goods and assets year-by-year due to inflation. CII is calculated to match the prices to the inflation rate. In simple words, an increase in the inflation rate over a period of time will lead to an increase in the prices.

How is Cost Inflation Index used in Income Tax?
Long-Term Capital Assets are recorded at cost price in books. Despite increasing inflation, they exist at the cost price and cannot be re-valued. When these assets are sold, the profit amount remains high due to the higher sale price as compared to purchase price. This also leads to a higher income tax. To benefit the taxpayers, cost inflation index benefit is applied to the long-term capital assets, due to which purchase cost increases, resulting in lesser profits and lesser taxes.

What is the concept of base year in Indexation?
The base year is the first year of Cost Inflation Index and has index value as 100. Index of all other years is compared to base year to see the increase in inflation percentage. For any capital asset purchased before the base year of Cost Inflation Index, taxpayers can take the purchase price as higher of the “actual cost or Fair Market Value (FMV) as on 1st day of the base year. Indexation benefit is applied to the purchase price so calculated. FMV is based on the valuation report of a registered valuer. Initially, 1981-82 was considered as the base year. But, taxpayers were facing hardships in getting the properties valued which were purchased before 1st April 1981. Tax authorities were also finding it difficult to rely on the valuation reports. Hence, the government decided to shift the base year to 2001 so that valuations can be done quickly and accurately. As such, for a capital asset purchased before 1st April 2001, taxpayers can take higher of actual cost or FMV as on 1st April 2001 as the purchase price and avail benefit of indexation. Capital gains is divided into short-term and long-term capital gains depending upon the period for which an asset is being held and method of computation varies based on the nature of capital gain. The method for computing the capital gains is as follows:

Short term capital gain

Long term capital gain

Sale consideration                                 
Less: (a) Cost of acquisition                               (b) Cost of improvement          (c) Expenditure incurred  in                 connection with transfer

Sale consideration  

Less : (a) Indexed cost of  acquisition            (b) Indexed cost of improvement            (c) Expenditure incurred in                  connection with transfer



Long-term capital gain is computed by deducting indexed cost of acquisition and indexed cost of improvement. An asset held for a period of 36 months or less is a short-term capital asset. The criteria of 36 months have been reduced to 24 months for immovable properties such as land, building and house property from FY 2017-18. An asset that is held for more than 36 months is a long-term capital asset. The reduced period of the aforementioned 24 months is not applicable to movable property such as jewellery, debt-oriented mutual funds etc. They will be classified as a long-term capital asset if held for more than 36 months as earlier. Equity Mutual Funds, Shares, Bonds, Debentures, Government Securities, etc, when held for a period of more than 12 months, are considered as long-term capital asset.

Indexation / CII Tables:
The Cost of Inflation Index as notified by the Government, U/s 48 of the IT Act, from time to time for the purpose of calculating and availing the Indexation benefit is as provided below: Refer the below link to view CII table prior to Finance Act 2017 having base year as 1981.
https://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/Documents/Cost-Inflation-Index-upto-FY-2016-17.htm

Refer the below link to view CII table notified by the Government with the base year as 2001-02 according to the Finance Act 2017.
https://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/charts%20%20tables/cost-inflation-index.htm

How is indexation benefit applied to long-term capital assets?
When the indexation benefit is applied to “Cost of Acquisition” (purchase price) of the capital asset, it becomes “Indexed Cost of Acquisition”. Indexed Cost of Acquisition = { (Cost of Inflation Index (CII) for the year of transfer/ sale x cost of acquisition ) / CII for the year in which the asset was purchased/ Base Year held ( whichever is later) }

Indexed Cost of Improvement = { (Cost of Inflation Index (CII) for the year of transfer/ sale x cost of Improvement) / CII for the year in which Improvement to the asset took place }

Practical Examples
Case 1: Rajiv purchased a flat in FY 2001-02 for Rs. 10,00,000. He sells the flat in FY 2017-18. What will be the indexed cost of acquisition? In this case, CII for the year 2001-02 and 2017-18 is 100 and 272 respectively as per the tables provided above. Hence, the Indexed Cost of Acquisition = 10,00,000 x 272/100 = Rs. 27,20,000

Case 2: Shivaprasad purchased a capital asset in FY 1995-1996 for Rs. 2,00,000. FMV of the capital asset on 1st April 2001 was Rs. 3,20,000. She sells the asset in FY 2016-17. What is the indexed cost of acquisition? Here, the asset is purchased before the base year. Hence the cost of acquisition = Higher of actual cost or FMV on 1st April 2001. i.e. Cost of Acquisition = Rs. 3,20,000. CII for the year 2001-02 and 2016-17 is 100 and 264 respectively as per the tables provided above. Indexed cost of acquisition = 3,20,000 x 264/100 = Rs. 8,44,800.

For a detailed explanation on the above subject, please refer:

https://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/Tutorials/15-%20LTCG.pdf

Disclaimer:
The details provided above are for the purpose of educating and understanding only. You are requested to kindly refer to a qualified Charted Accountant or the relevant Department for the exact information on the subject.

New Cost Inflation Index (CII) From FY 2001-02 To FY 2018-19

Current CII:

 

 

 

FINANCIAL YEAR (FY)

ASSESSMENT YEAR (AY)

COST INFLATION INDEX

 

2001-02

2002-03

100

 

2002-03

2003-04

105

 

2003-04

2004-05

109

 

2004-05

2005-06

113

 

2005-06

2006-07

117

 

2006-07

2007-08

122

 

2007-08

2008-09

129

 

2008-09

2009-10

137

 

2009-10

2010-11

148

 

2010-11

2011-12

167

 

2011-12

2012-13

184

 

2012-13

2013-14

200

 

2013-14

2014-15

220

 

2014-15

2015-16

240

 

2015-16

2016-17

254

 

2016-17

2017-18

264

 

2017-18

2018-19

272

 

2018-19

2019-20

280

 

2018-19

2019-20

280

 

Old CII (From Base Year - 1981-82):

FINANCIAL YEAR (FY)

COST INFLATION INDEX

FINANCIAL YEAR (FY)

COST INFLATION INDEX

1981-82

100

1999-00

389

1982-83

109

1999-00

406

1983-84

116

2001-02

426

1984-85

125

2002-03

447

1985-86

133

2003-04

463

1986-87

140

2004-05

480

1987-88

150

2005-06

497

1988-89

161

2006-07

519

1989-90

172

2007-08

551

1990-91

182

2008-09

582

1991-92

199

2009-10

632

1992-93

223

2010-11

711

1993-94

244

2011-12

785

1994-95

259

2012-13

852

1995-96

281

2013-14

939

1996-97

305

2014-15

1024

1997-98

331

2015-16

1081

1998-99

351

2016-17

1125

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