In a taxpayer-friendly ruling, an appellate tax authority has clarified that capital gains tax relief cannot be denied merely because the final conveyance deed for a new residential property is executed after the statutory time limit, provided the taxpayer has made the investment within the prescribed period and acquired enforceable rights in a specific property. The case involved a taxpayer who earned long-term capital gains from the sale of a residential house during a financial year and reinvested the proceeds in a redevelopment project. The investment was made through a formal agreement executed within the required timeline under tax law, while the registered sale deed was completed at a later date. Tax authorities had rejected the exemption claim on the ground that the taxpayer had only acquired rights in a “future property” through an unregistered arrangement and had not purchased a residential house within the time prescribed. Consequently, the capital gains tax benefit was denied. Overturning this view, the appellate authority observed that the taxpayer had effectively purchased a specific residential flat at the time of entering into the agreement and making the payment. The subsequent registration of the conveyance deed was held to be a procedural formality that merely formalised an already completed transaction. The ruling emphasised that tax relief provisions must be interpreted based on the substance of the transaction rather than rigid procedural requirements. As long as the taxpayer invests the capital gains within the statutory timeline and acquires enforceable rights in an identifiable residential property, the benefit cannot be denied solely due to a delay in registration. The authority also noted that tax administration must remain consistent and fair. Where capital gains are taxed in a particular person’s hands, the corresponding exemption linked to those gains must also be granted, and tax liability cannot be imposed selectively without allowing the associated relief. The decision is expected to provide relief to taxpayers investing in under-construction or redevelopment projects, where delays in registration of sale deeds are common and often beyond the buyer’s control.