Next dueIncome Tax
30 SEPTax Audit Report · Form 3CA/3CB · AY 2026-27due today 7 OCTTDS / TCS deposit · Deducted in Sep 2026in 7 days 31 OCTITR filing · Audit cases · AY 2026-27in 31 days 15 DECAdvance Tax · 3rd (75%) instalment · FY 2026-27in 76 days 31 DECBelated / revised ITR · AY 2026-27in 92 days 11 OCTGSTR-1 · Outward supplies · Sep 2026in 11 days 15 OCTPF & ESI · Contributions · Sep 2026in 15 days 20 OCTGSTR-3B · Summary return · Sep 2026in 20 days
All due dates
Guide · Capital Gains

Section 111A — STCG on Equity at 20%

Short-term capital gains on listed equity shares, equity mutual funds and business-trust units — the 20% rate since 23 July 2024, who it applies to, loss set-off, surcharge cap and how 111A differs from 112A.

Written by
TaxClue Editorial Desk
Updated
18 August 2026
Reading time
4 min
Questions
15 answered
  • Updated for AY 2026-27
  • Budget 2024 rate (23 Jul 2024)
  • CA reviewed
Quick Answer

Section 111A taxes short-term capital gains at a flat 20% on listed equity shares, equity-oriented mutual funds and units of business trusts (REITs/InvITs) sold on a recognised stock exchange with STT paid, when held for 12 months or less. The rate was raised from 15% to 20% by Budget 2024, effective 23 July 2024. Add 4% cess for an effective 20.8%. No Chapter VI-A deductions (80C etc.) and no indexation are allowed against this income.

Applicability

What Section 111A Covers

Section 111A applies only to STT-paid, exchange-traded equity. Off-market or unlisted transfers, intraday and F&O fall outside it and are taxed differently.

Asset / transactionSTT paid?SectionSTCG rate
Listed equity shares (NSE/BSE)Yes111A20%
Equity-oriented mutual funds (>65% equity)Yes111A20%
Equity ETFs (Nifty 50, Sensex)Yes111A20%
Units of REITs / InvITs (on exchange)Yes111A20%
Listed shares — off-market transferNoNormalSlab
Unlisted / private equity sharesNoNormalSlab
Intraday equity tradingSame-daySpeculative businessSlab
F&O (futures & options)NoNon-spec. businessSlab
Debt mutual funds—NormalSlab

The 20% rate under Section 111A applies to sales on or after 23 July 2024; earlier sales in FY 2024-25 keep the old 15% rate. Under the Income-tax Act, 2025 (from AY 2026-27) the same relief is re-enacted as Section 196 — the popular "111A" reference still applies for the search intent.

Basic-exemption adjustment for residents

A resident individual/HUF whose other income is below the basic exemption limit can set the shortfall against 111A gains before applying 20%. Example: if other income is ₹1.5L (old-regime limit ₹2.5L), ₹1L of the exemption can reduce the 111A taxable gain. Non-residents cannot use this adjustment.

Short vs long term

Section 111A vs Section 112A

The same equity asset moves from 111A (short-term) to 112A (long-term) once you cross a 12-month holding period. The long-term route is taxed lower and carries a yearly exemption.

20%

Section 111A · STCG

  • Holding period 12 months or less
  • Listed equity, equity MF, REIT/InvIT units (STT paid)
  • No annual exemption — every rupee taxed
  • No Chapter VI-A deductions, no indexation
12.5%

Section 112A · LTCG

  • Holding period more than 12 months
  • Same STT-paid equity assets
  • First ₹1.25 lakh of LTCG per year exempt
  • No indexation; surcharge also capped at 15%
FeatureSection 111A (STCG)Section 112A (LTCG)
Holding period12 months or lessMore than 12 months
Tax rate (since 23 Jul 2024)20%12.5%
Annual exemptionNone₹1.25L
Chapter VI-A (80C etc.)Not allowedNot allowed
IndexationNoNo
Loss set-offSTCG & LTCGLTCG only
Carry forward8 years8 years

Both are STT-paid equity provisions and both cap surcharge at 15%.

Mixed short- and long-term equity sales this year? Get the 111A / 112A split and tax computed correctly.

File Capital-Gains ITR →
High incomes

Surcharge on Section 111A Gains

Surcharge on the tax charged under Section 111A (and 112A) is capped at 15%, unlike ordinary income where it can reach 25%–37%. This gives equity investors a meaningful edge at high income levels.

Total incomeSurchargeEffective 111A rate
Up to ₹50 lakhNil20.80%
₹50 lakh – ₹1 crore10%22.88%
₹1 crore – ₹2 crore15%23.92%
Above ₹2 crore15% (capped)23.92%

Rates include 4% health & education cess. Surcharge on 111A/112A income is capped at 15% even above ₹2 crore.

Worked example

A Simple 111A Tax Calculation

STCG ₹4,00,000 · income under ₹50L

Short-term gain (111A)₹4,00,000
Tax at 20%₹80,000
Add 4% cess₹3,200
Total tax₹83,200

Same gain if held >12 months (112A)

Long-term gain₹4,00,000
Less annual exemption₹1,25,000
Taxable at 12.5% + cess₹2,75,000
Total tax₹35,750
Holding just past 12 months can slash tax

In the example above, holding the same equity for one extra day beyond 12 months moves it from 111A (₹83,200) to 112A (₹35,750) — a lower rate plus a ₹1.25 lakh exemption. Always check your acquisition and sale dates before selling.

Losses

Loss Set-off & Carry-Forward under 111A

A short-term capital loss on equity can shelter other capital gains but never salary or business income. File the return by the due date to carry losses forward — see carry-forward of losses.

Loss typeCan set off againstCarry forward
STCG loss (111A)Any STCG + any LTCG (incl. 112A)8 years
LTCG loss (112A)LTCG only8 years
STCG loss (111A)Not against salary / business / house property—

Losses carry forward only if the ITR is filed on or before the due date under Section 139(1).

  • Report 111A gains in Schedule CG of ITR-2 or ITR-3
  • Use the broker/AMC capital-gains statement (STT paid confirmed)
  • Split transactions before and on/after 23 July 2024 (15% vs 20%)
  • Pay advance tax on capital gains to avoid 234B/234C interest
Sources
  1. Act & rates: incometax.gov.in
  2. Section 111A, Income-tax Act 1961
  3. Rate change: Finance (No. 2) Act 2024 (eff. 23 Jul 2024)
  4. Re-enacted as Section 196, Income-tax Act 2025 (AY 2026-27)

Disclaimer: This guide is general information based on the law and notifications in force when it was last updated. It is not professional advice for your case — rates, thresholds and due dates change, so check the current position or speak to our CA team before you act on it.

People also ask

Section 111A — Frequently Asked Questions

Short, direct answers to the 15 questions readers ask most on this topic.

Section 111A taxes short-term capital gains on listed equity shares, equity-oriented mutual funds and units of business trusts at a flat 20%, provided the sale is on a recognised stock exchange with STT paid and the asset was held for 12 months or less. Add 4% health and education cess for an effective 20.8%. This rate applies to sales on or after 23 July 2024.

Budget 2024 (Finance (No. 2) Act 2024) raised the STCG rate on equity under Section 111A from 15% to 20% with effect from 23 July 2024. Sales up to 22 July 2024 in FY 2024-25 are still taxed at 15%; sales on or after 23 July 2024 are taxed at 20%. From FY 2025-26 onwards the full year is at 20%.

The base rate is 20%. With 4% health and education cess it becomes 20.8%. If total income exceeds ₹50 lakh, surcharge applies — 10% (₹50L–₹1cr) or 15% (above ₹1cr) — but surcharge on 111A income is capped at 15%. That gives effective rates of about 22.88% (₹50L–₹1cr) and 23.92% (above ₹1cr).

For listed equity shares, equity-oriented mutual funds and business-trust units, a holding period of 12 months or less makes the gain short-term and taxable under Section 111A. Hold for more than 12 months and the gain becomes long-term under Section 112A, taxed at 12.5% with a ₹1.25 lakh annual exemption.

No. Intraday equity trading (buying and selling the same day without delivery) is speculative business income under Section 43(5), taxed at your slab rate — not under Section 111A. Section 111A covers delivery-based sales of equity held even briefly and sold through a recognised exchange with STT paid.

No. Futures and options (F&O) trading is treated as non-speculative business income, taxed at slab rates and reported as business income, not capital gains. Section 111A applies only to delivery-based, STT-paid equity, equity mutual funds and business-trust units.

Yes. Equity-oriented mutual funds (with more than 65% equity exposure) and equity ETFs sold within 12 months attract 20% STCG under Section 111A when STT is paid on redemption or sale. Debt mutual funds are not covered by 111A and are taxed under normal provisions at slab rates.

No. Section 111A requires the sale to be STT-paid on a recognised stock exchange. Unlisted shares, and listed shares transferred off-market (no STT), are taxed as short-term capital gains under the normal provisions at your applicable slab rate, not at the 20% special rate.

No. Chapter VI-A deductions (80C, 80D, 80G, 80TTA and others) cannot be set off against income taxed under Section 111A. The STCG is taxed at a flat 20%. The only relief is for a resident whose other income is below the basic exemption limit — the shortfall can be adjusted against 111A gains.

A short-term capital loss under Section 111A can be set off first against any short-term capital gains and also against long-term capital gains (including 112A gains) in the same year. Any unabsorbed loss carries forward for 8 assessment years and can be set off against STCG or LTCG. It can never be set off against salary or business income.

Only a resident individual or HUF can use the unused basic exemption limit against 111A gains. If your other income is below the exemption limit, the shortfall reduces the 111A taxable gain before the 20% rate applies. Non-residents cannot use this adjustment and pay 20% on the full gain.

Section 111A covers short-term equity gains (held 12 months or less) taxed at 20% with no exemption. Section 112A covers long-term equity gains (held more than 12 months) taxed at 12.5% with the first ₹1.25 lakh exempt each year. Both need STT-paid equity and both cap surcharge at 15%; neither allows Chapter VI-A deductions or indexation.

The Income-tax Act, 2025 (in force from AY 2026-27) re-enacts the STCG relief in Section 196, but the substance is unchanged — 20% on STT-paid short-term equity. Because "Section 111A" remains the well-known reference, most taxpayers, brokers and ITR utilities still cite 111A. Verify the clause number in the current year utility before filing.

Report 111A STCG in Schedule CG of ITR-2 (no business income) or ITR-3 (if you also have business/professional income). Use your broker or AMC capital-gains statement, and split transactions before and on/after 23 July 2024 so the 15% and 20% rates are applied correctly.

Yes. Capital gains, including 111A STCG, are part of total income and attract advance tax. Since gains are hard to predict, the shortfall for a gain is usually payable in the instalment after the gain arises. Missing advance tax can trigger interest under Sections 234B and 234C.