Iown a house from which I earn rental income. I paid R8,000 in February 2013 towards the total property tax payable of R15,000, and the remaining R7,000 was paid in July 2013. Can I claim deduction for the entire property tax, i.e., R15,000 while computing the income from house property for FY13.
— Kunal Parikh

Deduction in respect of property tax is permissible subject to the condition that it has actually been paid during the financial year. Property tax due but not paid during FY13 is not allowed as deduction. Thus, you will be eligible for deduction of R8,000 only. However, property tax paid in July 2013 (R7,000) can be claimed as deduction for computing income from house property for FY14 even if it relates to the previous year.
My query is regarding computation of long-term capital gain on sale of a residential house. I do not wish to claim indexation benefit and, instead, want to pay tax at 10%. Can I do so?
— Nilesh Agarwal

The benefit of a lower rate of tax at 10% (without indexation) under Section 112 is restricted only to listed securities, units or zero-coupon bonds. Thus, you will be required to compute long-term capital gain after taking indexation benefit and pay tax at 20% on the resultant capital gains.
I e-filed my I-T returns for FY12 on July 31, 2012, without using digital signature. I could not send a copy to CPC, Bangalore, on time. Can I do it now?
— Prabhakar Shah

Yes, you can send ITR-V (duly verified and signed) to CPC, Bangalore, till October 31, 2013, as the time limit for filing ITR-V has been extended by the I-T department. Note that without acknowledgment of ITR-V from CPC, it would not be possible for the I-T department to process your return or issue any refunds as these would be treated as not having been filed with it.
A New Jersey-based friend gifted me a laptop worth $2000 (R1,25,000) on my birthday. Will this be taxable in my hands?