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Bond investments seem easy until you have to file returns; that’s when you notice that what you thought was a safe investment suddenly has two different tax treatments, two different ITR schedules, and two different rules, depending on whether the bond is listed or not. For AY 2026–27 (covering income earned in FY 2025–26), this is the final assessment year governed by the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Income Tax Act, 2025, applies to income earned from FY 2026–27 onward. If you hold corporate bonds, NCDs, G-Secs, or tax-free bonds, this guide indicates where each rupee of bond income will go in ITR-2 or ITR-3, so you will not get a mismatch notice from the Income Tax Department.
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Bond Interest vs Capital Gains: How ITR Treats Them Differently
Every bond investor deals with two distinct income streams, and the tax department treats them completely differently:
- Coupon/interest income: “Income from Other Sources” that is taxed at your slab rate without any special rate or concessions.
- Capital gains: Only incurs if the bond is sold for a profit before maturity; tax is determined based on whether the bond is listed and the duration of the holding.
Let’s assume if you are in the 30% slab, and bond interest earned is ₹50,000 in a single year, that entire interest income is taxed at your marginal slab rate plus cess; there’s no lower “investment income” rate for interest, unlike concessional treatment available on some equity-linked income.
Tax Rates at a Glance: Listed vs Unlisted Bonds (FY 2025-26)
| Bond type | Holding period | Classification | Tax treatment |
| Listed bonds / debentures | ≤12 months | STCG | Applicable slab rate |
| Listed bonds / debentures | >12 months | LTCG | 12.5% (generally without indexation) |
| Unlisted bonds/debentures & MLDs covered by Sec. 50AA | Any period | Deemed STCG | Applicable slab rate |
| Zero-coupon bonds | >12 months | LTCG | 12.5% |
| Sovereign Gold Bonds held from original issue to maturity | Up to 8 years | Exempt on redemption for an individual | Nil |
| Sovereign Gold Bonds sold/transferred before maturity | >12 months | LTCG | 12.5% |
| Tax-free PSU bonds — interest | — | Interest exempt under Sec. 10(15), where applicable | Nil |
Note: Tax treatment can differ based on the date of acquisition/transfer, whether the security is listed or unlisted, and the specific instrument. The rates above refer to the current regime for relevant transfers on or after 23 July 2024.
Latest Bond Updates:
- How to Report Bond Income in ITR-2 & ITR-3: 2026 Guide
- RBI Repo Rate Cut: How It Changes Coupons on New NCDs
- Switching From FDs to NCDs in 2026: What Investors Should Know
The key trap here is unlisted bonds: The Finance (No. 2) Act 2024 altered Section 50AA to treat any gains from the transfer, redemption, or maturity of unlisted bonds, debentures, or market-linked debentures on or after 23 July 2024 as short-term, irrespective of the holding period. Indexation is gone entirely for these instruments, a change that still surprises long-term unlisted bondholders every filing season.
ITR-2 or ITR-3—Which One Applies to You?
- Use form ITR-2 in case you have income from salary, house property, capital gains, and other sources but have no business or professional income. Most individual bond holders, even if they regularly trade bonds in the secondary market, come under this as long as such trading is not treated as a business.
- Use ITR-3 if you also have business/professional income or if your bond trading is frequent and structured enough to be treated as a trading business rather than an investment.
The due date for ITR-2 under AY 2026-27 was 31 July 2026, and for ITR-3 (non-audit cases) it has been extended to 31 August 2026 due to the changes brought in by the Finance Act, 2026.
Line-by-Line: Reporting Bond Interest (Schedule OS)
- Go to Schedule OS (Income from Other Sources) in ITR-2 or ITR-3.
- Report gross interest received/credited under the relevant sub-head, which is usually “Interest from Others.”
- If you bought a bond mid-coupon payment period and paid the seller accrued interest, adjust your report to reflect the net coupon income (minus the accrued interest). You are taxed on only what you earn, not what was credited against your PAN.
- Verify the amount against your AIS and Form 26AS before filing, since issuers report the gross interest to the tax department.
- Claim TDS credit deducted under Section 193 in the TDS schedule, matching the certificate/Form 26AS entry.
Line-by-Line: Reporting Bond Capital Gains (Schedule CG)
- Under Schedule CG, select the appropriate subsection. Typically, listed bonds and zero-coupon bonds (other than equity-related) fall under the “sale of listed securities/bonds” section, subject to tax under Section 112.
- Unlisted bonds and debentures fall under the Section 50AA deemed-STCG sub-section, subject to tax at the slab rate, irrespective of the holding period.
- The sale consideration, the cost of acquisition, and the expenses on transfer should be entered. No indexation is available for either listed or unlisted bonds after 23 July 2024.
- Where permitted, any LTCG arising from the sale of listed securities may be set off against capital losses from other listed securities, and unabsorbed losses may be carried forward for up to 8 assessment years.
- If you invested LTCG from a property sale into Section 54EC capital gains bonds (issued by REC, PFC, etc.), report the exemption claimed for this filing under the existing Section 54EC—the “Section 85” terminology only applies once the Income Tax Act, 2025 governs your return, which isn’t the case for FY 2025-26. Note that interest on these bonds is fully taxable at slab rate and must go into Schedule OS separately.
TDS on Bond Interest: How to Reconcile with Form 26AS and AIS
TDS under Section 193 applies at 10% on bond interest once the annual threshold is met from a single issuer (generally stated as ₹10,000, though some issuers may apply the limit from ₹5,000 based on the instrument). Check your bond’s information memorandum, with 20% deducted without a valid PAN. If your actual tax liability is lower, claim a refund; if higher, pay the balance as self-assessment tax. If TDS doesn’t reflect correctly in Form 26AS, reach out to the issuer or registrar before filing. Don’t file with a mismatch and hope it resolves later.
If you hold foreign bonds, disclose them in Schedule FA (Foreign Assets) and report the related income in Schedule FSI, claiming DTAA relief through Schedule TR if tax was already paid abroad on the same income.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Interest received on a bond and profit or loss from selling the bond are separate types of income. Interest is generally reported under Other Sources, while gains from a sale are reported under Capital Gains.
Yes. TDS deducted on bond interest should be reconciled with the TDS information available in your tax records and claimed in the Tax Paid/TDS section of your return. Any mismatch should be resolved before filing.
Keep your bond interest statements, Demat statements, transaction statements, bank statements, TDS certificates/Form 16A, and purchase and sale records. These help establish both interest income and the cost and sale consideration used for capital-gains calculations.
A loss from a bond sale is reported in Schedule CG, subject to the applicable classification and set-off rules. The treatment can differ depending on whether the loss is short-term or long-term.
If you held a bond but received no interest during the relevant year, there may be no interest income to report. However, a sale, redemption, or other taxable transaction involving the bond may still create a reporting requirement.
If you have income chargeable under Profits and Gains of Business or Profession, ITR-3 is generally the applicable return rather than ITR-2.
Disclaimer
Fixed returns do not constitute guaranteed or assured returns. Investments in corporate debt securities and municipal debt securities/securitized debt instruments are subject to credit risks, market risks, and default risks, including delay and/or default in payment. Read all the offer-related documents carefully. This blog/article should not be construed as financial advice or as an offer or recommendation to buy or sell any security or any products/services of/on GoldenPi or any product/services of its third-party client(s). For a detailed calculation of YTM, visit our website. T&C’s Apply.
