18 February 2011
It is a measure of inflation that finds application in tax law, when computing long-term capital gains on sale of assets. Section 48 of the Income-Tax Act defines the index as what is notified by the Central Government every year, having regard to 75 per cent of average rise in the consumer price index (CPI) for urban non-manual employees for the immediately preceding previous year. Therefore, if we consider that price of a capital asset has risen in tandem with base price rise, then if one want to sell an asset and replace it, the cost allowed even after indexation will be lesser than the price payable for new asset. However, in case of many capital asset the price rise is lesser than market price and in many cases it is higher.
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