What Are The Advantages Of Married Couples Jointly Owning Property?

Whether it’s tax benefits or hassle-free succession of assets, there are several advantages to jointly owning property.

There are intangible benefits of joint registration of property like elevating the status of the wife in a patriarchal society, better bonding, long-term commitment and trust between spouses. However, not many are aware of the financial advantages.

Affordability

The budget to purchase property is determined by the loan eligibility, which has a specific limit depending on the income. In case of a joint registration, spouses can opt for a joint home loan. It shares the debt burden between two people and paves the way for a higher loan amount as two incomes will be considered. A joint home loan can be obtained by an applicant along with their spouse, parents or siblings.

Tax benefit

According to Suraj Nangia, partner, Nangia & Co., “From a taxation point of view, a joint home loan is beneficial to all co-borrowers who can claim a tax deduction of Rs 1.50 lakhs for principal repayment under Sec 80C and Rs 2 lakhs for interest payment under Sec 24. In the case of two or more people taking a joint home loan, each of them can enjoy tax benefits under the Income-tax Act, in respect of the principal and interest paid during a year, on proportionate basis.”

Stamp duty

Some states encourage women to own property individually or jointly through lower stamp duty rates by 1 to 2%. For instance, in Delhi, a woman has to pay a stamp duty of 4% and a man has to pay 6% of the market value. In Rajasthan, a woman has to pay 4% as stamp duty whereas, a man has to pay 5% of the market value.

Succession

In the case of single ownership, transfer of property can be lengthy and time consuming.For instance, after the death of a New Delhi resident, his family members found that the flat they lived in, was solely owned by the deceased. The procedure to get the documents in the successor’s name involved excessive conformation to regulations and rules. If only the property was jointly owned, these hassles could have been avoided.