The Income Tax act has made provision u/s 54 & 54A--G of the act whereby you can claim exemption from tax on capital gains.

Sec. 54: Purchase or construct another residential house worth the amount of capital gains. Sec. 54 protects capital gains arising out of sale (or transfer) of a residential house whether self-occupied or not, provided the assessee has purchased within 1 year before or 2 years after the date of sale of the original asset or has constructed within 3 years after that date, a residential house. The only condition is that the newly-acquired property should not be sold within 3 years from the date of its purchase or construction. If this condition is not satisfied, the cost of the new asset is to be reduced by the amount of long-term capital gains exempted from tax on the original asset and the difference between its sale price and the reduced cost will be chargeable as short-term (yes, short-term!) capital gain earned during the year in which the new asset is sold. This condition is unfair. One of my readers, Capt. Shelar, had sold a house situated in a main city and purchased a more spacious house in the suburbs. After moving in he found that one of the neighbours is a goonda and another is running a brothel. He desired to shift in a hurry but alas! He found himself trapped.

Sec. 54EA & 54EB: Invest within 6 months the amount of capital gains in avenues covered by Sec. 54EB which locks in the funds for 7 years or invest the of sale proceeds in avenues covered by Sec. 54EA which locks in the funds for 3 years. Sometimes the same avenue also attracts tax rebate u/s 88. However, if the assessee has availed of the Sec. 54EA/EB exemption from capital gains by contributing a certain amount, the rebate u/s 88 will not be allowed on the same amount and vice versa.