8 Ways to Save Income Tax on New & Old Tax Regime for FY 2024-25

Tax planning helps you reduce your tax liability and increase your income by using the deductions allowed under the Income Tax Act for various investments, savings, and expenditures made during a financial year. The act offers deductions and exemptions, such as Section 80C, 80D, HRA and home loan interest repayment. While we often invest in products that improve our quality of life but strain our finances, the government provides income tax exemptions and deductions to ease this burden.

Key Highlights

• New Tax Regime – Lower slab rates, higher rebate limit (Rs.7 lakh from FY 2024-25), but limited deductions.
• Old Tax Regime – More deductions/exemptions are available (80C, 80D, 24 B, 80E, 80G, etc.), albeit with higher slab rates.
• Tax Planning Strategy – Compare tax regimes early in the year, account for existing expenses, and invest wisely in ELSS, PPF, NPS, or insurance based on your goals.

Tax Saving Under the New Tax Regime

Under the new tax regime, only limited deductions are available, making it suitable for taxpayers with fewer tax-saving investments. The tax slabs are lower and more relaxed compared to the old regime, so if you do not have significant deductions to claim, opting for the new tax regime can reduce your overall tax liability. The tax slabs under the new tax regime are as follows:

Tax Slabs under the new tax regime for FY 2025-26 are as follows

Tax Slabs under the new tax regime for FY 2024-25 are as follows

Employer Contribution to NPS u/s 80CCD(2)

Section 80CCD(2) applies to only salaried individuals and not to self-employed individuals. The contribution made by the employer may be equal to or higher than the contribution made by the employee. The deductions under this section can be availed over and above those of Section 80CCD(1).  The amount that your employer contributes will be deducted from your payslip and deposited into your NPS account.
Section 80CCD(2) allows a salaried individual to claim a deduction as follows:

• Central Government or State Government Employer: Up to 14% of their salary (Basic + DA)
• Any other employer: Maximum deduction of 14% of salary (Basic + DA)

Amount Paid or Deposited in the Agniveer Corpus Fund under Section 80CCH(2)

Under Section 80CCH(2) of the Income Tax Act, both the contributions made by the applicant and the central government to the Agniveer Corpus Fund are eligible for deduction. Additionally, any income received by the applicant or their nominees under the Agnipath Scheme is exempt from tax. Soldiers enrolled under this scheme also receive benefits such as ration, risk and hardship allowances, travel benefits, and death or disability compensation.

Deduction Under Section 57(iia) Of Family Pension Income

Family pension refers to the amount the employer pays to the employee’s family in the event of the employee's death.

A sum equal to ⅓ of the income received by the employee or Rs 25,000, whichever is lower among the two, will be allowed as a deduction under section 57(iia) of the family pension - for the new regime.  

Interest On Home Loan On Let-out Property Under Section 24

Under the new tax regime, interest on a home loan for self-occupied property is not allowed under Section 24. Whereas a deduction for interest on a home loan on the let-out property is allowed without any upper limit. 

Transport Allowance and Conveyance Allowance 

Transport allowance is given by an employer to an employee to cover travel expenses between home and workplace, with an exemption of Rs. 3,200 per month for physically challenged employees. On the other hand, conveyance allowance is provided to meet expenses incurred while performing office duties and is exempt only up to the actual expenditure incurred.

Standard Deduction for Salaried Individuals

For salaried taxpayers filing ITR under the new tax regime, a standard deduction of Rs. 75,000 will be available for both FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26. 

Rebate Under Section 87A

Under the new tax regime, for FY 2024-25, taxpayers with taxable income less than Rs. 7 lakh will be eligible for rebate u/s 87A. Meaning that taxpayers with an income of Rs. 7 lakh will have zero tax liability. However, for FY 2025-26, the rebate limit u/s 87A has been increased to Rs. 12 lakhs. Thus, the total income up to Rs. 12 lakh will be tax-free. 

Exemptions Allowed under Section 10 for the New Tax Regime 

Under this regime, voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) compensation is exempt up to Rs. 5 lakh, gratuity received by government employees is fully exempt, while private employees’ gratuity exemption depends on their coverage under the Payment of Gratuity Act. Additionally, leave encashment at retirement or resignation is exempt up to Rs. 25 lakh, and any amount exceeding this is taxable.

Voluntary Retirement Scheme

A voluntary retirement scheme is offered by employers so that employees can retire voluntarily. The amount exempt under this section is Rs. 5 lakh. 

Gratuity Exemption

Individuals who receive gratuity under section 10(10), if they are government employees then the gratuity received is fully exempt. Whereas if the employee is in private employment, then exemption on the same depends on whether they are covered under the Payment of Gratuity Act. The maximum amount of deduction available is Rs. 20 lakhs. 

Use our Gratuity Calculator to know your gratuity amount.

Leave Encashment

Leave encashment is when the employee encashed all the paid leave at the time of his retirement or resignation. The maximum exemption allowed is Rs. 25 lakhs, and the amount exceeding will be taxable. 

Tax Saving Under the Old Tax Regime

Unlike the new tax regime, more deductions and exemptions are allowed under the old tax regime, which gives taxpayers the benefit of paying lower tax liability. Tax slabs under the old tax regime are as follows:

Employer Contribution to NPS u/s 80CCD(2)

Employees who have NPS contributions from their employers can claim a deduction for that part under section 80CCD(2). The deduction allowable is as follows:

• For Non - Governmental Employees: Maximum deduction of 10% of salary (basic + DA)
• For Governmental Employees: Maximum deduction of 14% of salary (basic + DA)

Deduction For Family Pension Income

A taxpayer receiving family pension income is allowed a deduction of Rs. 15,000 under the old tax regime. 

Buy a Health Insurance Policy

People can claim tax deductions under Section 80D for the portion of their annual taxable income spent on premium payments. Depending on the age of the covered, different sums are exempt from such income tax computations.

Section 80D deduction limits are as follows:

Buy a Home Loan and Enjoy Tax Benefits Under Section 80C

Various government schemes like PMAY and DDA Housing Scheme make housing affordable, while tax benefits under Sections 80C and 24(b) reduce your tax burden. 

Under Section 80C, you can claim a deduction of up to Rs. 1.5 lakh on principal repayment, and under Section 24(b), you can claim up to Rs. 2 lakh on interest paid per year for self-occupied property. If the house is rented out, the entire interest is deductible against rental income, though loss set-off against other income heads is limited to Rs. 2 lakh. Additionally, Section 80EEA provides extra deductions for first-time homeowners meeting specific conditions.

Park Your Money In Government Schemes

Numerous government-mandated schemes offer high returns on total investments along with tax waivers. Individuals can claim up to Rs 1.5 lakh spent on such investments as tax waivers on total annual income under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.

Tax exemptions can be availed by investing in the following tools:

• Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS)
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY)
• National Pension Scheme (NPS)
• Public Provident Fund (PPF)
• National Pension Scheme (NPS)

Buy Life Insurance Plans

Section 80C of the Income Tax Act provides for premium payments, and Section 10(10D) provides for the sum promised received at maturity or early death of the insured, whichever occurs first.

Yet, if the insurance is bought after 1st April 2012, tax benefits of up to Rs 1.5 lakh paid on annual premiums can be claimed under Section 80C, provided it is less than 10% of the entire sum assured.

If the policy was purchased before April 1, 2012, claims under Section 80C can be filed as long as the total premium payments do not exceed 20% of the sum guaranteed.

As per the Finance Act 2021, in the case of ULIP exemption, u/s 10(10D) is applicable only if the premium is less than Rs. 2,50,000 per year.

As per the Finance Act 2023, in the case of any other insurance policy (Other than ULIP), exemption u/s 10(10D) is applicable only if the premium is less than Rs. 5,00,000 per year.

Acquisition or renewal of life insurance coverage, as well as annuity payments on such plans made through monthly salary, are also eligible for tax exemptions of up to Rs. 1.5 lakh under Section 80CCC.

Only certain pension funds under section 23AAB are eligible for exemptions of up to Rs 1.5 lakh under section 80CCD(1).

Investment Options Under Section 80C

The most popular tax-saving options available to individuals and HUFs in India are under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, Section 80C includes various investments and expenses you can claim deductions on – up to the limit of Rs. 1.5 lakh in a financial year.

Other Tax Saving Options Beyond Section 80C

Apart from the 80C deductions, there are various deductions under Section 80 you can use to save on income tax. Tax benefits on health insurance premiums and home loan interest are a few-

• Interest paid on a home loan can be claimed as a deduction under section 24 up to Rs 2 lakh. Section 80EE and Section 80EEA also allow you to claim a deduction of up to Rs 50,000 on home loan interest subject to underlying conditions, which is over and above the limit of Section 24. 
• Any charity that is made to institutions or funds can be claimed as a deduction under section 80G.
• Interest paid on education loans is allowed as a deduction under section 80E
• Employer contribution to NPS is eligible for deduction u/s 80CCD(2) with an overall threshold of Rs 750,000 (Including Employer contribution to PF).
• Individual contributions to NPS are eligible for deduction u/s 80CCD(1B) with a limit of Rs 50,000 a year.
• Section 80GG provided a deduction for non-salaried individuals to claim a deduction of up to Rs 60,000 per annum for the rent being paid on accommodation.
• Section 80TTA provided a deduction of up to Rs 10,000 on Saving bank interest for ages less than 60. For senior citizens, section 80 TTB provides deductions up to Rs 50,000 on all interest incomes.

A table summarizing the sections and the maximum deductions permissible are described below:

Standard Deduction and Rebate u/s 87A

For taxpayers opting old tax regime, a standard deduction of Rs. 50,000 is available for salaried individuals. Taxpayers filing ITR under the old tax regime will be eligible for a rebate u/s 87A if their taxable income does not exceed Rs. 5 lakh. Meaning, taxpayers with taxable income below Rs. 5 lakh will have zero tax liability. 

How to Plan Your Tax-Saving Investments for the Year?

The best time to start planning your tax-saving investments is at the beginning of the financial year.

Most taxpayers procrastinate till the last quarter of the year, resulting in hurried decisions. Instead, if you plan at the start of the year, your investments can compound and help you achieve long-term goals. Remember, tax saving should be an additional perk and not a goal in itself.

Use the following pointers to plan your tax-saving for the year:

• Check the tax-saving expenses you already have – insurance premiums, children’s tuition fees, EPF contribution, home loan repayment etc.
• Check which is the best tax regime for you, the New tax regime and the old tax regime. Use a cleartax calculator for such projection.
• Deduct this amount from Rs 1.5 lakh to figure out how much to invest. You needn’t invest the entire amount if expenses are covering the limit.
• Choose tax-saving investments based on your goals and risk profile. ELSS funds, PPF, NPS and fixed deposits are some of the popular options.
• Only if the old tax regime is more beneficial on the basis of current and projected deductions, then you can proceed with the future investment. This is because if you opt for the new tax regime while filling ITR, the investment that you have made will not result in any tax savings.

It is best to begin investing in the first quarter of the financial year so that you can spread the investments over the year. Doing this won’t burden you at the end of the year and will also allow you to make informed investment decisions.

Final Word

The deductions and exemptions available in the old tax regime are more than the new tax regime, but the slab rates are liberal in the new tax regime compared to the old tax regime. Hence, it is crucial for the taxpayer to properly analyse and opt for the beneficial tax regime.  

Related Articles:

How To Save Tax For Salary Above 7 Lakhs?

How To Save Tax For Salary Above 10 Lakhs?

How To Save Tax For Salary Above 12 Lakhs?

How To Save Tax For Salary Above 15 lakhs?

How To Save Tax For Salary Above 20 Lakhs?

How To Save Tax For Salary Above 30 Lakhs?

How To Save Tax For Salary Above 50 Lakhs?

How To Save Tax For Salary Above 1 Crore?