The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) vide notification no. G.S.R. 615(E) has notified the rules for valuing rent-free accommodation provided by the employers to employees on 18th August 2023.
These rules may be called the Income tax (Eighteenth Amendment), Rules, 2023. They shall come into force with effect from the 1st day of September, 2023.
Under the authority granted by sub-clause (i) and the Explanation to sub-clause (2) of section 17, in conjunction with section 295 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Board of Direct Taxes is introducing the subsequent rules to modify the Income-tax Rules, 1962.
In the Income-tax Rules, 1962, in rule 3,—
(i) for sub-rule (1), the following shall be substituted, namely: –
‘(1) The value of residential accommodation provided by the employer, for the purpose of sub-clauses (i) and (ii) of sub-section (2) of section 17, during the previous year shall be determined on the basis provided below:
| S.No. | Circumstances | Where accommodation is unfurnished | Where accommodation is furnished |
| 1 | Where the accommodation is provided by the Central Government or any State Government to the employees either holding office or post in connection with the affairs of the Union or of such State. | License fee determined by the Central Government or any State Government in respect of accommodation in accordance with the rules framed by such Government as reduced by the rent actually paid by the employee. | The value of perquisite as determined under column (3) and increased by 10% per annum of the cost of furniture (including television sets, radio sets, refrigerators, other household appliances, air-conditioning plant or equipment) or if such furniture is hired from a third party, the actual hire charges payable for the same as reduced by any charges paid or payable for the same by the employee during the previous year. |
| 2a | Where the accommodation is provided by any other employer and where the accommodation is owned by the employer, or | (i) 10% of salary in cities having population exceeding 40 lakhs as per 2011 census; (ii) 7.5% of salary in cities having population exceeding 15 lakhs but not exceeding 40 lakhs as per 2011 census; (iii) 5% of salary in other areas, in respect of the period during which the said accommodation was occupied by the employee during the previous year as reduced by the rent, if any, actually paid by the employee. | The value of perquisite as determined under column (3) and increased by 10% per annum of the cost of furniture (including television sets, radio sets, refrigerators, other household appliances, air-conditioning plant or equipment or other similar appliances or gadgets) or if such furniture is hired from a third party, by the actual hire charges payable for the same as reduced by any charges paid or payable for the same by the employee during the previous year. |
| 2b | where the accommodation is taken on lease or rent by the employer. | Actual amount of lease rental paid or payable by the employer or 10% of salary, whichever is lower, as reduced by the rent, if any, actually paid by the employee. | The value of perquisite as determined under column (3) and increased by 10% per annum of the cost of furniture (including television sets, radio sets, refrigerators, other household appliances, air-conditioning plant or equipment or other similar appliances or gadgets) or if such furniture is hired from a third party, by the actual hire charges payable for the same as reduced by any charges paid or payable for the same by the employee during the previous year. |
| 3 | Where the accommodation is provided by the employer specified in serial number (1) or (2) in a hotel (except where the employee is provided such accommodation for a period not exceeding in aggregate fifteen days on his transfer from one place to another). | Not applicable | 24% of salary paid or payable for the previous year or the actual charges paid or payable to such hotel, which is lower, for the period during which such accommodation is provided as reduced by the rent, if any, actually paid or payable by the employee: |
Provided that nothing contained in this sub-rule shall apply to any accommodation temporarily provided to an employee working at a mining site or an on-shore oil exploration site or a project execution site, or a dam site or a power generation site or an off-shore site—
(i) which, having plinth area not exceeding 1000 square feet, is located not less than eight kilometres away from the local limits of any municipality or a cantonment board; or
(ii) which is located in a remote area:
Provided further that where on account of his transfer from one place to another, the employee is provided with accommodation at the new place of posting while retaining the accommodation at the other place, the value of perquisite shall be determined with reference to only one such accommodation which has the lower value with reference to the Table above for a period not exceeding ninety days and thereafter the value of perquisite shall be charged for both such accommodations in accordance with the Table:
Provided also that where the accommodation is owned by the employer and the same accommodation is continued to be provided to the same employee for more than one previous year, the amount calculated in accordance with SL. No.2(a) or 2(b) shall not exceed the amount so calculated for the first previous year, as multiplied by the amount which is a ratio of the Cost Inflation Index for the previous year for which the amount is calculated and the Cost Inflation Index for the previous year in which the accommodation was initially provided to the employee.
Explanation 1.- For the purposes of this sub-rule, where the accommodation is provided by the Central Government or any State Government to an employee who is serving on deputation with any body or undertaking under the control of such Government,-
(i) the employer of such an employee shall be deemed to be that body or undertaking where the employee is serving on deputation; and
(ii) the value of perquisite of such an accommodation shall be the amount calculated in accordance with Sl. No. (2)(a) of Table- I, as if the accommodation is owned by the employer.
Explanation 2.— For the purposes of third proviso,-
(i) “Cost Inflation Index” means the index notified by the Central Government in Official Gazette under clause (v) of Explanation to section 48;
(ii) “first previous year” means the previous year 2023-2024, or the previous year in which the accommodation was provided to the employee, whichever is later.;
(ii) in the Explanation, for clause (v), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:-
‘(v) “remote area”, for purposes of proviso to sub-rule(1) means any area other than an area which is located-
(a) within the local limits of ; or
(b) within a distance, measured aerially, of 30 kilometres from the local limits of, any municipality or a cantonment board having a population of 1,00,000 or more based on the 2011 census’;
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