🧮 India Income Tax Auto Year

🆕 New Regime - Allowed Deductions

⚠️ Disclaimer: Estimates only. Consult a CA or registered tax professional for your specific situation.

⚖️ New vs Old Regime - Full Comparison

Enter income details in the Calculator tab to see your personalised comparison.

Use Calculator tab first to enable comparison.

📊 Break-Even Deduction Table

How much total deduction you need in Old Regime to match New Regime tax - by income level.

Annual IncomeNew Regime TaxOld Regime Tax (no ded.)Need Deductions >

Old Regime tax shown with only Standard Deduction (₹50K). If your extra deductions exceed the last column, Old Regime wins.

📋 Tax Slabs AY 2026-27

✅ Data from Union Budget 2025 (presented 1 Feb 2025). FY 2025-26 / AY 2026-27. Budget 2026 made no changes to slab rates.

🆕 New Tax Regime - All Taxpayers (Same for all ages)

Income SlabRateNotes
Up to ₹4,00,000NilBasic exemption limit
₹4,00,001 – ₹8,00,0005%
₹8,00,001 – ₹12,00,00010%
₹12,00,001 – ₹16,00,00015%
₹16,00,001 – ₹20,00,00020%
₹20,00,001 – ₹24,00,00025%
Above ₹24,00,00030%
Standard Deduction: ₹75,000 (salaried/pensioners only)  |  ✅ 87A Rebate: Up to ₹60,000 if taxable income ≤ ₹12,00,000  |  ✅ Effective zero tax: Salaried up to ₹12,75,000 gross  |  ✅ Surcharge cap: Max 25% (vs 37% Old Regime)

📋 Old Tax Regime - Below 60 Years

Income SlabRate
Up to ₹2,50,000Nil
₹2,50,001 – ₹5,00,0005%
₹5,00,001 – ₹10,00,00020%
Above ₹10,00,00030%

Senior Citizens (60–80): Nil up to ₹3,00,000  |  Super Senior (80+): Nil up to ₹5,00,000

Std Deduction: ₹50,000 (salaried)  |  87A Rebate: ₹12,500 if taxable income ≤ ₹5,00,000

💰 Surcharge Rates

Income RangeNew Regime SurchargeOld Regime Surcharge
Up to ₹50 lakhNilNil
₹50L – ₹1 crore10%10%
₹1Cr – ₹2 crore15%15%
₹2Cr – ₹5 crore25%25%
Above ₹5 crore25% (capped)37%

✅ Health & Education Cess: 4% on (Income Tax + Surcharge). Marginal relief applies near surcharge thresholds.

📐 How India Income Tax Works

India Tax Year (FY vs AY)

Financial Year (FY): April 1 – March 31 Assessment Year (AY): The year AFTER the FY FY 2025-26 income → filed in AY 2026-27 New Regime is DEFAULT from FY 2023-24. You must explicitly OPT for Old Regime.

Step 1: Taxable Income

Gross Income − Standard Deduction (₹75,000 new / ₹50,000 old) − HRA Exemption (old regime only) − 80C / 80D / 24B etc. (old regime only) − Employer NPS 80CCD(2) (new regime allowed) = Taxable Income

Step 2: Apply Tax Slabs → Base Tax

New Regime Example: ₹15,00,000 taxable income ₹4L × 0% = ₹0 ₹4L × 5% = ₹20,000 ₹4L × 10% = ₹40,000 ₹3L × 15% = ₹45,000 Base Tax = ₹1,05,000

Step 3: Section 87A Rebate

New Regime FY 2025-26: If taxable income ≤ ₹12,00,000: Rebate = min(Base Tax, ₹60,000) → Tax = Base Tax − Rebate (could be ₹0) If taxable income > ₹12,00,000: No rebate (pay full tax from first slab) Old Regime FY 2025-26: If taxable income ≤ ₹5,00,000: Rebate = min(Base Tax, ₹12,500) If taxable income > ₹5,00,000: No rebate Note: Marginal relief near ₹12L ensures tax payable does not exceed income over ₹12L.

Step 4: Surcharge + Cess

Surcharge = % of Tax After Rebate (income-based) Cess = 4% × (Tax After Rebate + Surcharge) Total Tax = Tax After Rebate + Surcharge + Cess

HRA Exemption - Old Regime

Minimum of three: 1. Actual HRA received 2. Rent paid − 10% of Basic Salary 3. 50% of Basic (Metro) OR 40% of Basic (Non-Metro) Metro cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata

New Regime - What's Allowed?

✅ Standard Deduction: ₹75,000 (salaried/pensioners) ✅ Employer NPS: 80CCD(2) - no cap ✅ Agniveer Corpus: 80CCH ✅ 24(b): Interest on let-out property (not self-occupied) ✅ Family Pension Deduction: lower of 1/3 or ₹25,000 ❌ HRA, LTA, 80C, 80D, 80E, 80G, 80TTA, 24(b) self-occ

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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India Income Tax FY 2025-26 - New Regime, Old Regime & What Budget 2025 Changed

Budget 2025 made the most significant changes to India's income tax structure in years - effectively making the New Regime even more attractive while leaving the Old Regime unchanged. Understanding what changed, how to calculate your tax correctly under both regimes, and which one saves more for your specific income and deduction profile is now more important than ever.

Quick New Regime example - ₹15 lakh salary (salaried): Gross = ₹15,00,000. Less standard deduction ₹75,000 = Taxable = ₹14,25,000. Tax: 0% on ₹4L + 5% on ₹4L + 10% on ₹4L + 15% on ₹2.25L = 0 + ₹20,000 + ₹40,000 + ₹33,750 = ₹93,750. Less 87A rebate: ₹0 (income > ₹12L). Plus 4% cess: ₹3,750. Total tax = ₹97,500. Effective rate: 6.5%.

New Regime Tax Slabs FY 2025-26 (Budget 2025)

Budget 2025 restructured the New Regime slabs and significantly raised the 87A rebate threshold:

  • 0% - Up to ₹4,00,000 (raised from ₹3L)
  • 5% - ₹4,00,001 to ₹8,00,000
  • 10% - ₹8,00,001 to ₹12,00,000
  • 15% - ₹12,00,001 to ₹16,00,000
  • 20% - ₹16,00,001 to ₹20,00,000
  • 25% - ₹20,00,001 to ₹24,00,000
  • 30% - Above ₹24,00,000

Section 87A rebate under New Regime: up to ₹60,000 (raised from ₹25,000) for taxable income ≤ ₹12 lakh. Standard deduction: ₹75,000 for salaried and pensioners. This combination makes income up to ₹12,75,000 (gross salaried) effectively tax-free under New Regime.

New Regime vs Old Regime - When Does Each Win?

New Regime - Who Benefits Most

  • Income up to ₹12.75L salaried (zero effective tax)
  • People with low deductions (minimal 80C, no HRA, no home loan)
  • Young earners in early career without large investments
  • Those who prefer simplicity - fewer records and proofs
  • Default regime from FY 2023-24 onward
  • NPS employer contribution (80CCD(2)) still allowed

Old Regime - When It Saves More

  • High HRA exemption (metro city, paying significant rent)
  • Home loan with substantial interest deduction (u/s 24b, ₹2L)
  • Full 80C utilisation (₹1.5L) + 80CCD(1B) NPS (₹50K)
  • 80D medical insurance premiums (₹25K–₹75K)
  • If total deductions exceed ₹3.75L for ₹10L income
  • Leave travel allowance, children's education allowance still applicable

Key Deductions Under the Old Regime - Maximum Values

  • Section 80C (₹1,50,000 limit): PF/EPF contributions, PPF, ELSS, life insurance premium, NSC, 5-year FD, home loan principal repayment, tuition fees
  • Section 80CCD(1B) (₹50,000): Additional NPS Tier-1 contribution over and above 80C - exclusive to NPS
  • Section 80D (₹25,000–₹1,00,000): Medical insurance premiums. ₹25K for self/spouse/children; +₹25K for parents; +₹25K for senior citizen parents. Preventive health check-up: ₹5K within these limits.
  • Section 24(b) (₹2,00,000): Interest on home loan for self-occupied property
  • Section 80E: Full deduction on education loan interest (no cap)
  • HRA exemption: Minimum of (actual HRA, rent paid − 10% basic, 50%/40% of basic)
  • Section 80TTA/TTB: ₹10,000 on savings account interest (80TTA) or ₹50,000 for senior citizens (80TTB)

Understanding Surcharge and Cess

After calculating the base income tax, two additional charges apply:

  • Surcharge - Additional tax for high income. New Regime: 10% surcharge on income ₹50L–₹1Cr; 15% on ₹1Cr–₹2Cr; 25% on ₹2Cr+ (capped at 25% under New Regime). Old Regime: same up to ₹2Cr, then 25% for ₹2Cr–₹5Cr, 37% above ₹5Cr.
  • Health & Education Cess - 4% on (income tax + surcharge). Applies to all taxpayers regardless of income level. Cannot be avoided or deducted.

Total tax = Base tax + Surcharge + 4% Cess. For most salaried individuals below ₹50 lakh, only cess applies (no surcharge). For incomes ₹50L+, the surcharge significantly increases the effective tax rate.