Section 24 of Income Tax Act "Deductions from income from house property"
(c) where the property or any part of the property is let
and was vacant during the whole or any part of the previous
year and owing to such vacancy the actual rent received or
receivable by the owner in respect thereof is less than the
sum referred to in clause (a), the amount so received or
receivable :
Provided that the taxes levied by any local authority in
respect of the property shall be deducted (irrespective of
the previous year in which the liability to pay such taxes
was incurred by the owner according to the method of
accounting regularly employed by him) in determining the
annual value of the property of that previous year in which
such taxes are actually paid by him.
Explanation.-For the purposes of clause (b) or clause (c) of
this sub-section, the amount of actual rent received or
receivable by the owner shall not include, subject to such
rules as may be made in this behalf, the amount of rent
which the owner cannot realise.
(2) Where the property consists of a house or part of a
house which-
(a) is in the occupation of the owner for the purposes of
his own residence; or
(b) cannot actually be occupied by the owner by reason of
the fact that owing to his employment, business or
profession carried on at any other place, he has to reside
at that other place in a building not belonging to him,
the annual value of such house or part of the house shall be
taken to be nil.
(3) The provisions of sub-section (2) shall not apply if-
(a) the house or part of the house is actually let during
the whole or any part of the previous year; or
(b) any other benefit therefrom is derived by the owner.
(4) Where the property referred to in sub-section (2)
consists of more than 54[two houses]-
(a) the provisions of that sub-section shall apply only in
respect of 55[two] of such houses, which the assessee may,
at his option, specify in this behalf;
(b) the annual value of the house or houses, 56[other than
the house or houses] in respect of which the assessee has
exercised an option under clause (a), shall be determined
under sub-section (1) as if such house or houses had been
let.
(5) Where the property consisting of any building or land
appurtenant thereto is held as stock-in-trade and the
property or any part of the property is not let during the
whole or any part of the previous year, the annual value of
such property or part of the property, for the period up to
57[two years] from the end of the financial year in which
the certificate of completion of construction of the
property is obtained from the competent authority, shall be
taken to be nil.
Provided also that no deduction shall be made under the
second proviso unless the assessee furnishes a certificate,
from the person to whom any interest is payable on the
capital borrowed, specifying the amount of interest payable
by the assessee for the purpose of such acquisition or
construction of the property, or, conversion of the whole or
any part of the capital borrowed which remains to be repaid
as a new loan.
Explanation.-For the purposes of this proviso, the
expression "new loan" means the whole or any part of a loan
taken by the assessee subsequent to the capital borrowed,
for the purpose of repayment of such capital:
59[Provided also that the aggregate of the amounts of
deduction under the first and second provisos shall not
exceed two lakh rupees.]
25. Notwithstanding anything contained in section 24, any interest chargeable under this Act which is payable outside India (not being interest on a loan issued for public subscription before the 1st day of April, 1938), on which tax has not been paid or deducted under Chapter XVII-B and in respect of which there is no person in India who may be treated as an agent under section 163 shall not be deducted in computing the income chargeable under the head "Income from house property".