Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during her Union Budget 2025 speech, announced that no income tax will be payable on income up to Rs 12 lakh, providing significant relief to taxpayers, especially the middle class.
This limit will be Rs 12.75 lakh rupees for salaried taxpayers, counting Rs 75,000 of the standard deduction. She also stated that the new income tax regime will be simpler, with a special focus on benefiting the middle class.
But there is a catch: the exemption can be earned only if a taxpayer takes relief under various sections of the Income Tax Act, like the Rs 1.5 lakh exemption under section 80CCC and the exemption of Rs 1.5 lakh for paying interest on home loans.
Sitharaman says, “To tax payers up to Rs 12 lakh of normal income (other than special rate income such as capital gains) tax rebate is being provided in addition to the benefit due to slab rate reduction in such a manner that there is no tax payable by them”.
The announcement from the Finance Minister of this big relief to the middle class was met by a loud thumping of the desks by the treasury benches led by PM Narendra Modi.
The finance minister announced a change in income tax slabs and rates across the board, ensuring a more progressive taxation system.
Sitharaman says, “Slabs and rates are being changed across the board to benefit all tax-payers. The new structure will substantially reduce the taxes of the middle class and leave more money in their hands, boosting household consumption, savings and investment.”
Under the new tax slabs, incomes of up to Rs 4 lakh will have to pay a nil tax hike of Rs 3 lakh. A taxpayer in the new regime with an income of Rs 12 lakh will get a benefit of `Rs 80,000 in tax.
A person having an income of Rs 18 lakh will get a benefit of Rs 70,000 in tax. A person with an income of Rs 25 lakh gets a benefit of Rs 1,10,000 under the new tax slabs.
“The total tax benefit of slab rate changes and rebate at different income levels can be illustrated with a few examples, a taxpayer in the new regime with an income of 12 lakh rupees will get a benefit of 80,000 rupees in tax, which is 100% of tax payable as per the existing rates. A person having income, a person having income of 18 lakh rupees will get a benefit of 70,000 rupees in tax, that is 30% of tax payable as per existing base. A person with an income of 25 lakh gets a benefit of one lakh 10,000 rupees, that is 25% office tax payable as per existing rates,” the Finance Minister said.
As a result of these proposals, revenue of about Rs 1 lakh crore in direct taxes and Rs 2600 crore in indirect taxes will be forgone.
(With inputs from ANI)
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