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Guide · Capital Gains

Section 54EC — Save LTCG Tax with Capital Gains Bonds

How to exempt long-term capital gain on the sale of land or a building by investing in REC, PFC or IRFC 54EC bonds within 6 months — the Rs 50 lakh cap, the 5-year lock-in and how it compares with Section 54 and 54F.

Written by
TaxClue Editorial Desk
Updated
18 August 2026
Reading time
5 min
Questions
16 answered
  • Updated for AY 2026-27
  • CA reviewed
  • Now Section 85 (Act 2025)
Quick Answer

Section 54EC exempts long-term capital gain on the sale of land or a building if you invest the gain in specified capital-gains bonds — REC, PFC or IRFC — within 6 months of the transfer. The exemption is capped at Rs 50 lakh per financial year across all issuers, and the bonds carry a 5-year lock-in. Interest (~5.25%) is fully taxable; only the gain is exempt. From AY 2026-27, 54EC is re-lettered Section 85 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 — the rules are unchanged.

At a glance

54EC Bonds — REC, PFC & IRFC

54EC capital-gains bonds are AAA-rated, government-backed and issued at par (Rs 10,000 face value). NHAI has stopped fresh 54EC issues — the currently open issuers are REC, PFC and IRFC (HUDCO was notified as an eligible issuer in 2025). Older NHAI bonds already held remain valid.

IssuerFull nameLock-inYield (approx.)Interest taxed?
RECREC Ltd (Rural Electrification Corp.)5 years~5.25%Yes · Other Sources
PFCPower Finance Corporation5 years~5.25%Yes · Other Sources
IRFCIndian Railway Finance Corp.5 years~5.25%Yes · Other Sources
NHAINational Highways Authority of India5 yearsClosedNo fresh issue

The Rs 50 lakh cap is the combined limit across all issuers in a financial year, not per issuer. Yields are indicative and set per bond series. Interest is paid annually and is taxable at slab rate.

The 6-month clock is strict

You must invest within 6 months of the date of transfer (registration/handover), even if that runs into the next financial year. Miss the window and the exemption is lost — there is no extension and no Capital Gains Account Scheme route for 54EC. Because the Rs 50 lakh cap is per financial year, a sale straddling two years (e.g. registration in March) can, with careful timing, allow Rs 50 lakh in each year.

Eligibility

Key Conditions for Section 54EC

Section 54EC is narrow but powerful — it works only for immovable property and only within a tight window.

ConditionRequirement
Asset soldLong-term land or building (or both) — held more than 24 months
Who can claimAny assessee — individual, HUF, firm, company, etc.
Investment windowWithin 6 months of the date of transfer
Investment capRs 50 lakh per financial year, across all specified bonds
Lock-in5 years from the date of allotment of bonds
Early exitBonds cannot be sold, transferred, pledged or borrowed against — doing so revokes the exemption; the gain becomes taxable in that year
Amount exemptLower of the capital gain or the amount invested (capped at Rs 50 lakh)
Equity and mutual-fund gains do NOT qualify

54EC applies only to gains on land or buildings. LTCG on listed shares or equity mutual funds is taxed under Section 112A at 12.5% (with a Rs 1.25 lakh annual exemption) and cannot be sheltered in 54EC bonds. Gold, unlisted shares and other assets are also outside 54EC.

Sold a plot, flat or commercial building? Get your 54EC timing and cap checked.

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Worked example

How Much Tax Does 54EC Save?

Property sold after 23 July 2024 is taxed at 12.5% without indexation (property bought before that date can instead opt for 20% with indexation, whichever is lower). Take a Rs 40 lakh long-term gain:

Without 54EC — pay the tax

LTCG on buildingRs 40,00,000
Tax @ 12.5%Rs 5,00,000
Net gain retainedRs 35,00,000
Tax paidRs 5,00,000

With 54EC — invest the gain

Invested in REC/PFC/IRFCRs 40,00,000
Exempt LTCGRs 40,00,000
Tax payableRs 0
Tax savedRs 5,00,000

The trade-off: 54EC saves the 12.5% tax now, but locks the money for 5 years at ~5.25% (taxable) instead of letting you invest the post-tax proceeds freely. For sellers who do not need liquidity, and especially those in higher slabs, 54EC usually wins.

✓Use 54EC if

  • You sold land or a building and have a large LTCG
  • You do not need the money for 5 years
  • You want a safe, government-backed shelter
  • Your gain is within the Rs 50 lakh cap

!Think twice if

  • You may need liquidity before 5 years
  • Your gain far exceeds Rs 50 lakh (excess stays taxable)
  • You can reinvest in a house under Section 54 / 54F instead
  • You are chasing higher post-tax returns elsewhere

Not sure whether to use 54EC or buy a house under Section 54?

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54EC vs 54 vs 54F

Which Capital-Gains Exemption Fits You?

54EC is one of several capital-gains exemptions. If you would rather reinvest in a house than in bonds, look at Section 54 (sale of a house) or Section 54F (sale of any other long-term asset).

Feature54EC54 (house)54F (any LTCA)
Asset soldLand / buildingResidential houseAny long-term asset (not a house)
Reinvest inSpecified bonds1 residential house1 residential house
Who can claimAny assesseeIndividual / HUFIndividual / HUF
Time limit6 months1 yr before / 2 yrs after; 3 yrs to buildSame as Section 54
CapRs 50 lakhRs 10 crore ceiling on gainRs 10 crore ceiling; proportionate
Lock-in5 years3 years3 years

From AY 2026-27 these map to the Income-tax Act, 2025: 54EC → Section 85, 54 → Section 82, 54F → Section 84. The familiar 54-series numbers stay in common use.

TaxClue Insight

54EC and 54/54F are not mutually exclusive — a seller with a very large gain can combine them: shelter up to Rs 50 lakh in 54EC bonds and route the balance into a house under Section 54F. Joint owners each get their own Rs 50 lakh cap, so a couple co-owning property can shelter up to Rs 1 crore in bonds.

Sources
  1. Act & e-filing: incometax.gov.in
  2. Section 54EC / new Section 85, Income-tax Act, 2025 (from AY 2026-27)
  3. LTCG on property 12.5% w/o indexation — Finance (No.2) Act 2024 (23 Jul 2024)
  4. Rs 50 lakh cap & 5-year lock-in — Finance Act 2018

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 54EC — Frequently Asked Questions

Short, direct answers to the 16 questions readers ask most on this topic.

The maximum is Rs 50 lakh per financial year, combined across all specified 54EC bonds (REC, PFC, IRFC). If the capital gain exceeds Rs 50 lakh, the exemption is capped at Rs 50 lakh and the balance LTCG remains taxable. Because the cap is per financial year, a sale that straddles two years (for example, agreement in March and registration in April) can, with careful timing, allow up to Rs 50 lakh in each of the two years.

You must invest within 6 months from the date of transfer of the property. This is a hard deadline — if the 6 months lapse, the exemption is lost. Unlike Section 54/54F, there is no Capital Gains Account Scheme option to park the money and invest later, so plan the bond purchase as soon as the sale is registered.

Overall. The Rs 50 lakh ceiling is the combined limit across all 54EC issuers in a financial year, not per issuer. Buying Rs 50 lakh of REC and Rs 50 lakh of PFC in the same year does not double the exemption.

The currently open issuers are REC Ltd, Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC). HUDCO was notified as an eligible issuer in 2025. NHAI has stopped issuing fresh 54EC bonds, though older NHAI 54EC bonds already held remain valid. All are AAA-rated, government-backed, issued at par with a 5-year lock-in, and are not listed or tradable.

No. NHAI has discontinued fresh 54EC bond issues. If you are investing today, use REC, PFC or IRFC. NHAI 54EC bonds bought in earlier years continue to be valid and enjoy the exemption for their remaining lock-in.

54EC bonds currently yield around 5.25% per annum, paid annually. The interest is fully taxable as "income from other sources" at your slab rate — only the reinvested capital gain is exempt. TDS is generally not deducted, but you must still declare and pay tax on the interest.

No. Section 54EC applies only to long-term capital gain from the sale of land or a building (or both). Gains from listed shares or equity mutual funds are taxed under Section 112A (12.5% with a Rs 1.25 lakh annual exemption) and cannot be sheltered in 54EC bonds. Gold, unlisted shares and other assets are also outside 54EC.

No. Only long-term capital gain qualifies. Land or a building must be held for more than 24 months to be a long-term capital asset. Short-term gains on property are taxed at slab rates and cannot be exempted under 54EC.

Only the capital gain. Section 54EC exempts the lower of the long-term capital gain or the amount invested in bonds (capped at Rs 50 lakh). You invest the gain, not the entire sale consideration — this is a key difference from Section 54F, which looks at net consideration.

5 years from the date of allotment (raised from 3 years by the Finance Act 2018). The bonds cannot be sold, transferred, converted to money, pledged or used as security for a loan during this period. Any such action revokes the exemption and the earlier exempt gain becomes taxable in the year of the breach.

Early redemption or transfer is not permitted, and even taking a loan against the bonds is treated as a transfer. If it happens, the capital gain that was exempted earlier is deemed to be long-term capital gain of the year in which you break the lock-in, and becomes taxable then. In practice the bonds simply mature at par after 5 years.

Yes. Each co-owner's share of the long-term capital gain is computed separately, and each can independently invest their share in 54EC bonds up to the Rs 50 lakh per-person limit. The bonds must be held in each co-owner's own name. A couple co-owning property can therefore shelter up to Rs 1 crore of LTCG in a financial year (Rs 50 lakh each).

It depends on your goal. Choose 54EC if you want a safe, passive shelter and do not need to buy property. Choose Section 54 (sale of a house) or 54F (sale of any other asset) if you want to reinvest in a residential house — those have no Rs 50 lakh cap but require actually buying or building a home within the time limit. Large gains can combine both: Rs 50 lakh in 54EC and the balance in a house.

For sheltering a property gain, usually yes. Without 54EC you first pay 12.5% tax on the gain, leaving less to invest; with 54EC the whole gain (up to Rs 50 lakh) stays invested and grows at ~5.25%. A bank FD may pay more interest but does not save the capital-gains tax. If you can accept the 5-year lock-in, the tax saved typically outweighs the lower coupon, especially for higher-slab taxpayers.

Report the capital gain and the 54EC investment in Schedule CG of your return — usually ITR-2 (or ITR-3 for those with business income). Enter the bond details, amount invested and date of investment; the exemption is set off against the gain. Keep the bond allotment advice and folio as proof. See our ITR-2 guide for the capital-gains schedule.

Yes. Section 54EC is a capital-gains exemption, not a Chapter VI-A deduction, so it is available under both the old and the new (default) tax regime. The new regime removes deductions like 80C, but capital-gains exemptions such as 54, 54F and 54EC continue to apply.