Personal Finance: 7 Key Tax Rules Investors Must Know for Equity, Gold, Real Estate and Other Assets

Budget 2024 set long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax at 12.5% for most assets, except certain debt funds.

Short-term capital gains (STCG) on listed equity shares and equity mutual funds (where STT applies) are taxed at 20%.

For gold ETFs held over 12 months, LTCG is taxed at 12.5%, but short-term gains are taxed as per the investor's income tax slab.

Debt mutual funds purchased after 1 April 2023 no longer receive indexation benefits; all gains are taxed as per the slab rate.

Real estate purchased after 23 July 2024 is taxed at a flat 12.5% LTCG without indexation; properties bought before that date have an option between 12.5% without indexation or 20% with indexation.