Section 54EC Bonds: ₹50 Lakh, Six Months and Five-Year Lock-In
Reviewed by CA Nikhil Gupta · Last reviewed 2 August 2026
Section 54EC shelters LTCG from land or building when invested within six months in notified long-term specified bonds, limited to ₹50 lakh across the…
For broader context, see the SEBI — Markets, Listing and Intermediary Regulation Hub.
Section 54EC shelters LTCG from land or building when invested within six months in notified long-term specified bonds, limited to ₹50 lakh across the statutory period. Covered bonds have a five-year lock-in, and transfer, conversion or loan against them can withdraw relief.
Legal or Computational Framework
Governing rule
Eligible issuers are notified infrastructure-bond issuers; current notifications must be checked before subscription. The exemption is the lower of capital gain, eligible investment and ₹50 lakh.
Correct workflow
Confirm original asset and LTCG; identify six-month deadline; select a currently notified bond issue; invest through traceable funds; cap cumulative investment; retain allotment; monitor lock-in.
Step-by-step method
- Confirm original asset and LTCG.
- identify six-month deadline.
- select a currently notified bond issue.
- invest through traceable funds.
- cap cumulative investment.
- retain allotment.
- monitor lock-in.
Worked example
Property LTCG ₹72 lakh and eligible 54EC investment ₹50 lakh within six months gives exemption ₹50 lakh and taxable balance ₹22 lakh before losses and tax.
The example is an audit trail, not a substitute for the user's facts. Change one input—residence, payment date, tax year, asset, return form, GST status, employer category or supporting document—and the result can change.
Edge cases
- The limit cannot be doubled by splitting financial years for one transfer: record the factual and legal conclusion in the working paper.
- Bond interest is taxable: record the factual and legal conclusion in the working paper.
- 54EC is for land or building gain: record the factual and legal conclusion in the working paper.
- Joint owners claim their own share: record the factual and legal conclusion in the working paper.
- Loan against bonds can trigger withdrawal: record the factual and legal conclusion in the working paper.
Use the Bond Duration and Interest-Rate Sensitivity Calculator to work through the related inputs before acting.
What Generic Pages Miss
- Missing six-month date.
- Investing in unnotified bonds.
- Claiming ₹50 lakh per issuer.
- Treating bond interest as exempt.
- Selling or pledging before five years.
Generic pages often confuse gross income with net receipt, TDS with final tax, GST turnover with income-tax turnover or a portal value with legal eligibility. Finin2min should show why an amount is accepted, deferred, reversed, rejected or carried forward.
Practical Documentation Checklist
- Sale deed/gain computation
- Deadline calendar
- Bond or property investment proof
- Allotment/demat
- Ownership allocation
- Lock-in tracker
See the broader Income-tax Act 2025 study guide hub for related rules and calculators on this topic.
Finin2min Summary
Section 54EC shelters LTCG from land or building when invested within six months in notified long-term specified bonds, limited to ₹50 lakh across the statutory period. Covered bonds have a five-year lock-in, and transfer, conversion or loan against them can withdraw relief.
Finin2min rule: classify the legal event, calculate from source records and show every adjustment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Source and review trail
Use the current official instrument, portal or regulator publication before acting. This panel separates the category authority from page-specific references.
- Primary category
- Income Tax
- Official starting point
- www.incometax.gov.in
Page source links
Primary sources & related provisions
Statutory provisions referenced in this guide: