Property buyers purchasing homes, flats or any other immovable property worth Rs 50 lakh or more are required to comply with a key tax provision under the income tax act before completing the transaction.

Under Section 194-IA, buyers must deduct 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) from the sale consideration and deposit it with the government when making payments to the seller. Failure to comply with the provision may attract interest and penalties under the Income Tax Act.According to the income tax department, "Any sum paid by way of consideration for transfer of any immovable property (other than agricultural land) is covered under section 194-IA, provided the consideration for transfer of an immovable property is not less than Rs.

50 lakhs."The provision was introduced to improve reporting of high-value property transactions and ensure tax compliance in the real estate sector. The tax is required to be deducted at the time of credit or payment to the seller, whichever is earlier.

Conditions to be satisfied for applicability

The Income Tax Department specifies that certain conditions must be fulfilled before Section 194-IA becomes applicable.According to the department, "The payer must be any person" purchasing the property, while "the payee must be a resident transferor of an immovable property (other than agricultural land)."

The payment must be made as "consideration for transfer of any immovable property (other than agricultural land)."Further, the department states that "the quantum of payment, or stamp duty value of property, must be Rs. 50 lakhs or more."This means the provision generally applies when a buyer purchases a residential, commercial or other non-agricultural property from a resident transferor and the transaction value or stamp duty value meets the prescribed threshold.

The purpose is to curb tax evasion, maintain a clear audit trail as well as to ensure that the sellers declare the income from property sales.

How to apply and deposit TDS on property purchase

The buyer is required to deduct TDS from the amount payable to the seller and deposit it with the Central Government. Tax shall be deducted at the rate of 1%.The process broadly involves these steps:

Unlike other TDS provisions, buyers covered under Section 194-IA are not required to obtain a Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number (TAN) solely for this transaction.

Important points to know

The department however, also cautioned the viewers to verify the property's transaction value and stamp duty value before proceeding, as the threshold test is linked to both figures.Failure to deduct or deposit TDS within the prescribed time can attract interest and penalties under the Income Tax Act. Buyers should also ensure that details entered in Form number 26QB, including PAN information of both parties, are accurate to avoid processing delays.