Capital Gains Tax on Mutual Funds: How to Calculate STCG and LTCG (India 2024)
Budget 2024 raised STCG to 20% and LTCG to 12.5%. Budget 2023 eliminated debt fund indexation. If you've redeemed mutual funds or are planning to, this is the complete step-by-step guide to calculating exactly what you owe — with worked examples for equity, debt, and SIP portfolios.
Key Takeaways
- Budget 2024 (July 2024) raised STCG on equity funds from 15% to 20% and LTCG from 10% to 12.5%, while increasing the LTCG exemption from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.25 lakh per year.
- Budget 2023 (April 2023) removed indexation from debt funds — all debt fund gains are now taxed at your income slab rate regardless of holding period, eliminating the advantage over FDs.
- SIP investors face the most complex capital gains calculation: each instalment has its own purchase date, and FIFO applies on redemption — meaning long-term and short-term gains can exist in the same redemption.
- Tax-loss harvesting — selling loss-making funds to offset gains — is most effective before March 31 each year to manage the annual LTCG exemption optimally.
- ELSS funds are automatically long-term (3-year lock-in) and eligible for 12.5% LTCG tax — but the 80C deduction (old regime) is only on the investment, not the redemption.
In this article
- 1.Why mutual fund redemptions trigger capital gains tax
- 2.Equity vs debt: two completely different tax regimes
- 3.STCG vs LTCG on equity funds — the 12-month rule
- 4.What changed in Budget 2024: new rates and exemption limit
- 5.How to calculate STCG — formula with a worked example
- 6.How to calculate LTCG — the ₹1.25 lakh exemption applied step by step
- 7.Debt fund taxation post-April 2023: indexation gone, slab rate applies
- 8.SIPs and the FIFO rule: why each instalment has its own tax date
- 9.How to read your capital gains statement from CAMS / KFintech
- 10.How FundSageAI calculates capital gains automatically from your CAS statement
1Why Mutual Fund Redemptions Trigger Capital Gains Tax
When you sell (redeem) mutual fund units, you realise a capital gain or loss — the difference between what you received and what you originally paid. This gain is taxable income in India under the head "Capital Gains" in your ITR.
A few key principles before the rules:
- →Tax is triggered only on redemption — not on paper gains while you hold the fund.
- →Dividends from mutual funds are also taxable (added to income, taxed at slab rate) — only growth plan redemptions produce capital gains.
- →Each fund scheme is treated independently — gains and losses across schemes can be set off against each other, subject to the STCG/LTCG offset rules.
- →The financial year (April–March) is the assessment period — LTCG exemption of ₹1.25 lakh resets every April 1.
2Equity vs Debt: Two Completely Different Tax Regimes
Mutual fund tax treatment is determined by the fund's equity allocation, not its name or category label.
| Fund Type | Equity % | Tax Regime | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity-oriented | ≥65% | Equity tax rules (STCG/LTCG) | Large-cap, mid-cap, small-cap, flexi-cap, ELSS, balanced hybrid |
| Hybrid (equity-heavy) | 35–64% | Debt tax rules (slab rate) | Conservative hybrid, multi-asset allocation, balanced advantage (some) |
| Debt-oriented | <35% | Debt tax rules (slab rate) | Liquid, overnight, short duration, credit risk, gilt funds |
| Arbitrage funds | ≥65% (hedged) | Equity tax rules | Arbitrage funds — treated as equity despite near-zero market risk |
3STCG vs LTCG on Equity Funds — The 12-Month Rule
For equity-oriented funds (≥65% equity), the holding period determines whether gains are short-term or long-term:
Short-Term Capital Gains (STCG)
Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG)
Rates as per Budget 2024 (Finance Act 2024), effective July 23, 2024. Surcharge and cess may apply depending on total income.
4What Changed in Budget 2024: New Rates and Exemption Limit
Budget 2024, announced on July 23, 2024 (effective from the same date), made two significant changes to equity mutual fund taxation:
| Parameter | Before Budget 2024 | After Budget 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| STCG rate (equity) | 15% | 20% |
| LTCG rate (equity) | 10% | 12.5% |
| LTCG annual exemption | ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,25,000 |
| LTCG indexation (debt) | Not available (removed Apr 2023) | Not available |
| Debt fund slab taxation | Yes (from Apr 2023) | Yes (unchanged) |
5How to Calculate STCG — Formula with a Worked Example
Formula: STCG = (Sale Price per unit − Purchase Price per unit) × Number of units sold
Tax payable = STCG × 20% (plus 4% cess = effective rate 20.8%)
Worked example — STCG on equity fund
6How to Calculate LTCG — The ₹1.25 Lakh Exemption Step by Step
Formula: Taxable LTCG = Total LTCG − ₹1,25,000 (exemption). Tax = Taxable LTCG × 12.5%
The ₹1.25 lakh exemption applies to all equity LTCG in the financial year — across all funds and all redemptions combined. It is not per fund or per transaction.
Worked example — LTCG on equity fund
Example where LTCG exceeds exemption
7Debt Fund Taxation Post-April 2023: Indexation Gone, Slab Rate Applies
The Finance Act 2023 eliminated the long-term capital gains benefit and indexation for debt mutual funds with effect from April 1, 2023. This was one of the most significant tax changes to mutual funds in years.
Before April 2023: debt funds held over 3 years qualified for LTCG at 20% with indexation — making them significantly more tax-efficient than FDs for investors in the 30% slab. After April 2023: all gains from debt funds (regardless of holding period) are added to your income and taxed at your applicable slab rate — effectively the same as FD interest.
Debt fund — before April 2023
30% slab investor in high-inflation year: effective tax often 5-8%
Debt fund — after April 2023
30% slab investor: same tax as FD — tax advantage eliminated
8SIPs and the FIFO Rule: Why Each Instalment Has Its Own Tax Date
The most common misconception among SIP investors: treating the entire SIP portfolio as a single investment with one purchase date. In reality, each monthly SIP instalment is a separate purchase with its own acquisition date, NAV, and holding period.
When you redeem SIP units, the FIFO (First In, First Out) rule applies — the oldest units are sold first. This has significant tax implications:
SIP FIFO example
Investor started SIP ₹10,000/month in a large-cap fund in January 2024. Redeems ₹50,000 in February 2025.
| SIP Month | Units bought | Holding (at Feb 2025) | Gain type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2024 | ~95 units | 13 months | LTCG (12.5%) |
| Feb 2024 | ~92 units | 12 months | LTCG (12.5%) |
| Mar 2024 | ~90 units | 11 months | STCG (20%) |
| Apr–Dec 2024 | ~83 units each | 2–10 months | STCG (20%) |
FIFO means Jan 2024 units are sold first. A ₹50,000 redemption in Feb 2025 draws mostly from older (Jan–Feb 2024) units — partially LTCG, rest STCG.
9How to Read Your Capital Gains Statement from CAMS / KFintech
Both CAMS and KFintech (formerly Karvy) provide capital gains statements for all funds serviced by them. You need statements from both if your funds span multiple RTAs.
Request the statement
Log in to CAMS Online (camsonline.com) or KFintech (kfintech.com) → Reports → Capital Gains Statement → Select financial year → Download PDF or Excel.
Identify the key columns
Transaction date (purchase), redemption date, units redeemed, purchase NAV, sale NAV, gain/loss per unit, holding period, and gain classification (STCG/LTCG).
Aggregate across RTAs
Sum all LTCG from both CAMS and KFintech. Apply the ₹1.25 lakh exemption to the total. Sum all STCG separately. Tax is computed on the net figures.
Enter in ITR
LTCG from equity mutual funds goes in Schedule CG → Long-term Capital Gains → Section 112A. STCG goes in Schedule CG → Short-term Capital Gains → Section 111A.
10How FundSageAI Calculates Capital Gains from Your CAS Statement
FundSageAI reads your CAS statement (from CAMS or KFintech) and computes STCG and LTCG automatically — no spreadsheet, no manual date counting, no FIFO calculation.
- Parses all redemption transactions across all funds and folios in your CAS statement
- Applies FIFO per fund scheme — correctly matches each redemption to its purchase lot by date
- Classifies each lot as STCG (≤12 months) or LTCG (>12 months) using the exact purchase and redemption dates
- Applies Budget 2024 rates for post-July 23, 2024 redemptions and pre-Budget rates for earlier redemptions
- Computes net LTCG across all funds and applies the ₹1.25 lakh annual exemption
- Shows a fund-wise and transaction-wise breakdown you can cross-check with your CA
- Identifies tax-loss harvesting opportunities: funds with unrealised losses that could offset gains before March 31
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the capital gains tax rate on equity mutual funds in India after Budget 2024?+
After Budget 2024 (effective from July 23, 2024): Short-term capital gains (STCG) on equity funds sold within 12 months are taxed at 20% (increased from 15% in Budget 2024). Long-term capital gains (LTCG) on equity funds sold after 12 months are taxed at 12.5% (increased from 10%) on gains exceeding ₹1.25 lakh per financial year (exemption limit increased from ₹1 lakh). The first ₹1.25 lakh of LTCG in a financial year remains tax-free.
How is capital gains tax calculated for a SIP portfolio?+
Each SIP instalment is treated as a separate purchase with its own acquisition date. When you redeem units, the FIFO (First In, First Out) rule applies — the oldest units are treated as sold first. This means if you started a SIP in January 2022 and redeem in February 2024, the units from January 2022 (held 25 months) are treated as long-term gains at 12.5%, while units from February 2023 (held 12 months) may be short-term at 20%, depending on exact dates. Calculating this manually for a multi-year SIP with hundreds of instalments is extremely complex — this is why CAS statements and tools like FundSageAI compute this automatically.
How are debt mutual funds taxed after the 2023 Finance Act?+
From April 1, 2023, debt mutual funds (those with less than 35% in equity) lost their indexation benefit and long-term capital gains status. All gains from debt funds — regardless of holding period — are now added to your income and taxed at your applicable income tax slab rate. This effectively eliminated the tax advantage that debt funds had over fixed deposits for investors in the 20-30% tax brackets. Funds with 35-65% equity (conservative hybrids, certain balanced funds) are also treated like debt for tax purposes.
What is the LTCG exemption limit for mutual funds?+
The LTCG exemption limit for equity-oriented mutual funds is ₹1.25 lakh per financial year (raised from ₹1 lakh in Budget 2024). This means the first ₹1.25 lakh of long-term capital gains from equity funds (and listed equity shares) in a financial year is completely tax-free. Gains above ₹1.25 lakh are taxed at 12.5% without indexation. The limit is per person per financial year — a couple filing separately each gets the ₹1.25 lakh exemption independently.
How do I tax-loss harvest in mutual funds to reduce my capital gains tax?+
Tax-loss harvesting involves selling funds that are in a loss position to offset gains from other redemptions. In India: short-term losses can offset both STCG and LTCG; long-term losses can only offset LTCG, not STCG. If total losses exceed total gains in a financial year, the remaining losses can be carried forward for 8 financial years and set off against future gains. Practical example: if you have ₹3 lakh of LTCG from one fund and ₹1.5 lakh of LTCG loss from another, net taxable LTCG = ₹3L − ₹1.5L − ₹1.25L exemption = ₹0.25 lakh taxable at 12.5%.
Does ELSS follow the same capital gains tax rules as other equity funds?+
Yes — ELSS (Equity Linked Savings Scheme) is subject to the same LTCG tax rules as other equity funds. Since ELSS has a mandatory 3-year lock-in, all ELSS redemptions are automatically long-term gains (held over 12 months). The LTCG rate of 12.5% applies to gains above the ₹1.25 lakh annual exemption. Additionally, ELSS qualifies for a Section 80C deduction of up to ₹1.5 lakh per year (under the old tax regime) — but the 80C deduction is only available in the year of investment, not the year of redemption.
Sources & References
- Finance Act 2024 (Budget 2024) — Section 111A, 112A amendments effective July 23, 2024
- Finance Act 2023 — Removal of LTCG status and indexation for debt mutual funds effective April 1, 2023
- Income Tax Act, 1961 — Section 10(38) grandfathering provisions for pre-2018 LTCG
- AMFI India — mutual fund tax treatment guidelines and category classification
- CAMS / KFintech — Capital Gains Statement methodology documentation
Calculate Your Capital Gains Automatically
FundSageAI reads your CAS statement and computes STCG and LTCG per fund automatically — FIFO applied, Budget 2024 rates used, ₹1.25L exemption calculated. No spreadsheet needed.
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