Gift Tax - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition gift-tax

Definition :

Gift-tax, gift tax is to place the tax on the gift of property which may include land and buildings. It is not a tax imposed directly upon lands and buildings but is a tax upon the value of the total gifts made in a year which is above the exempted limit. There is no tax upon lands or buildings as units of taxation. Indeed the lands and buildings are valued to find out the total amount of the gift and what is taxed is the gift. The value of the lands and buildings is only the measure of the value of the gift. A gift-tax is thus not a tax on lands and buildings as such which is a tax resting upon general ownership of lands and buildings but is a levy upon a particular use, which is transmission of title by gift, Second Gift Tax Officer v. D.H. Hazareth, (1970) 1 SCC 749: AIR 1970 SC 999 (1002). (Gift Tax Act, 1958)