Home loan with spouse - help required on taxation

Ashok (MD) (72 Points)

06 February 2016  

I am planning to take a home loan with my spouse in Kanyakumari. We are taking a LAND HOME and a HOME LOAN (both together as a single loan with HDFC). 

I stay in Chennai,claim HRA in Chennai as I work here but the home I am getting is in a different place (my hometown in Kanyakumari). My yearly total EMI comes to Rs.9 Lakhs (both of us put together) of which the interest part is around 4.5 Lakhs per year in total.

My concern is only about taxability of the interest part (Section 24). I am not concerned about the principal part under 80C.

 After going through all the sections and possiblities I am thoroughly confused, need your inputs please. 

The decision to be taken is simple - how to split the loan between me and my wife (% split of loan). It depends on ensuring max tax benefits that both of us get. She falls under 20% bracket and I fall under 30% bracket.
 
My understanding is that 

A) I can claim tax exemption only for EMIs post completion of construction of the house.
B) For the other EMIs that I paid before completion of construction, I will have to claim it by proportionating it over the next five years.

My questions are - 

1) If the land/home is in my wife's name will I be eligible for interest deduction (i.e. if the loan alone is split between us and land/home is in my wife's name only)?

2) Can the entire interest (land + home) get me tax benefit? Or will I have to split only home construction excluding land buying amount and claim EMI only for the home construction part?

3) If both of us split the loan into 50%-50%, can both claim deduction of 2.25 Lakhs each? 

4) Given my situation (home not self occupied, with me staying in Chennai and I claim HRA here) can I claim more than 2 lakhs Interest as tax free? Is there a limit of 2 lakhs in my case. 

5) My EMI starts from April 2016. I will complete my house in December 2016. Can the EMIs paid from April 2016 till November 2016 can be included under FY 16-17 deduction? Basically, the term "completion of construction of house" refers to financial year of completion or month of completion? 

5 a) If I can claim only from December 2016, can I proportionally divide the EMI from April 2016 till November 2016 to the next five years.


If someone can reply point by point, it would be of great help. Thanks in advance