Sold a flat this year? Fill ITR carefully

If you sold a flat or plot in FY2025-26, the number you report in your ITR isn't just what the buyer paid you — it's the stamp duty value recorded in your registered sale deed (the official government-assessed price of your property).
The tax department cross-checks this automatically, and if there's a mismatch, you could get a notice even if you paid the right tax.
The stamp duty value is often higher than the actual sale price — and that higher number is what your capital gains tax (the tax on profit from selling an asset) is calculated on.

What this means for you

• If your buyer paid ₹60L but the stamp duty value is ₹65L, your taxable profit is calculated on ₹65L — not ₹60L.
• Under-reporting this value — even accidentally — can trigger a tax notice and a possible penalty.
• This applies whether you sold an ancestral flat, a plot, or a property you bought years ago.

What you can do

• Pull out your registered sale deed and check the stamp duty value listed — that's the number to enter in your ITR under capital gains.
• If you're unsure which ITR form to use (hint: it's ITR-2 for most salaried people with property sales), a CA can sort this in one sitting for ₹1,000–3,000.

Getting this one number right protects you from a notice — and that's worth five minutes of double-checking.