The negotiations for Budget 2024 begin today. It is anticipated that more non-metropolitan areas would be eligible for a 50% Home Rent Allowance (HRA) exemption. Tax relief measures include reduced rates, updated slabs, and larger deductions.

Under the previous income tax system, employees who get HRA and pay rent are eligible to seek a tax exemption on this benefit. Whether or whether the employee resides in a metro area for tax purposes determines which exemption applies. Employee HRA benefits are entirely taxed if the recipient does not rent a home.

The Complaint

Bengaluru is included in the 40% group, whereas rental homes in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai are currently free from HRA to the extent of 50%. Experts believe there is a critical need to reevaluate how metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions are classified in light of the increasing population and economic importance of cities.

The National Capital Region (NCR), Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, and Chennai are classified as metropolises under the Constitution (Seventy-Fourth Amendment) Act of 1992. Cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, and Kanpur, however, may also be classified as metros when taking into account overall development considerations.

However, due to a lack of updates to the tax code to reflect modern circumstances, the HRA tax exemption for salaried persons in certain cities stays lower at 40%. In contrast to metro regions, residents in quickly growing non-metro areas frequently pay higher rents as a result of urban expansion, but they also enjoy less tax incentives. Experts advise the government to reconsider rent exemption laws in order to lessen the financial burden on taxpayers as more individuals relocate to these locations in search of employment.

The following cities are regarded as metro areas for HRA calculations: Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata. For the purposes of calculating HRA taxes, cities located in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) or the National Capital Region (NCR) are not considered metro areas. As a result, even though they frequently pay high rent, citizens in places like Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Navi Mumbai, and Thane are not eligible for a 50% HRA tax exemption.

Here's how to optimize your tax savings by claiming HRA while submitting your taxes:

HRA Calculation:

1. The exemption on HRA is determined based on the least of the following:

2. Received the actual HRA.

3. 40% of earnings for inhabitants outside of metro areas, or 50% of salary for those residing in them.

4. 10% of the pay is deducted from the rent.

Documents Needed to File an HRA Claim:

1. Rent receipts accompanied by the landlord's acknowledgments and, in the event that the rent exceeds Rs 1 lakh per year, the landlord's PAN data.

2. Tenancy Agreement: a formal lease that supports your allegations.

These documents don't have to be posted, but they should be easily accessible in case the authorities want to look them up. It's important to be cautious and aware of the ramifications since making false Home Rent Allowance claims might result in sanctions.