1. Applicability of Section 80TTB

Section 80TTB is a provision whereby a taxpayer who is a resident senior citizen, aged 60 years and above at any time during a Financial Year (FY), can claim a specified amount as a deduction from his gross total income for that FY. This section is applicable w.e.f 1 April 2018.

2. Quantum of deductions available

A deduction of lower than Rs 50,000 or an amount from a specified income is allowed from the gross total income. Specified income is any of the following income in aggregate:

• Interest on bank deposits (savings or fixed);
• Interest on deposits held in a co-operative society engaged in the business of banking, including a co-operative land mortgage bank or a co-operative land development bank; or
• Interest on post office deposits

3. Exceptions to Section 80TTB

If the specified deposits are held by or on behalf of a partnership firm, an association of persons (AOP) or a body of individuals (BOI), Section 80TTB deduction is not available for the partner of such a firm or for any member of such an AOP or BOI, while computing their total income.

4. Section 80TTA vs 80TTB

Section 80TTA provides deductions similar to Section 80TTB. However, it provides deductions of interest only on savings account held in a bank, co-operative bank or a post office, from the gross total income of the individual taxpayer or a hindu undivided family upto Rs 10,000.

With the introduction of Section 80TTB exclusively for senior citizens, deductions under Section 80TTA is not available to senior citizens.

Difference between Section 80TTA and Section 80TTB

5. Illustration on tax savings by senior citizens

Senior citizens already enjoy a higher basic exemption limit compared to normal taxpayers. The introduction of Section 80TTB further aids tax savings for senior citizens. Let us see how with the following example.

Let us consider the following incomes for a taxpayer:

1. Savings interest of Rs 5,000
2. Interest on fixed deposits of Rs 200,000
3. Other income of Rs 150,000

Now, the following table will help you understand how a senior citizen stands to benefit (as against a normal taxpayer) with the provisions of Section 80TTB

Tax computation

(Amount in Rs)

NOTE: For the AY 2020-21, the rebate under section 87A is available up to Rs 12,500 (for a total income up to Rs. 5,00,000). Hence, the above tax computation would change accordingly.

In the above example, the senior citizen ends up paying no taxes in comparison to an ordinary taxpayer, below 60 years of age, who pays Rs 2,600. Read about 80TTA here