No proposal at present to scrap
LTCG on equity transactions: Finance Ministry
The Finance Ministry has clarified that
there is no proposal to scrap the long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax for
domestic investors. In a written response in Parliament on Monday, the Ministry
also revealed that LTCG tax collections on equities nearly doubled in r 2024 25
compared to the previous fiscal.
At present, there is no such proposal
under consideration, said Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary. He
was responding to a query about whether the government plans to scrap the
long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax for retail and domestic investors to protect
them, revive market sentiment and ensure a level playing field with foreign
investors.
The issue of reviewing capital gains tax
hit the headlines in May when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the
government is open to feedback on LTCG and STCG taxes amid foreign portfolio
investor (FPI) outflows.
On this specific issue, and on any
issue, we are always ready and willing to listen to the people, Sitharaman
said. When asked about requests from stock market participants to review
long-term and short-term capital gains taxation, she added, We will definitely
take their inputs.
Chaudhary added that taxation policies
are normally reviewed during the annual budget. The tax policies, including
capital gains tax rates, are reviewed periodically as part of the annual
budgetary process and legislative revisions after taking into consideration the
macro-economic parameters, he said.
Currently, LTCG on equities is levied at
12.5 per cent for both domestic and foreign investors. Long-term capital gains
apply to profits made from selling equities after holding them for at least 12
months.
Rise in revenue mop-up
The Finance Ministry also shared data
showing a sharp rise in revenue collections from LTCG tax on equity
transactions. The Government revenue from LTCG tax increased nearly 78 per cent
to ₹1.29 lakh crore in FY25 (Assessment Year 2025-26) from ₹72,249
crore in FY24 (AY 2024-25). The Minister added that data for AY2026-27 and
AY2027-28 is not yet available as income tax returns for the corresponding
financial years are still being filed.
www.thehindubusinessline.com,
dt. 21-07-2026