Income Tax Slabs for FY 2024-25 (New & Old Regime Tax Rates)

The income tax is a direct tax which follows a progressive slab rate, where the rate of tax increases as the taxpayer's income rises. The Income-tax Act, 1961 provides for two tax regimes: the old regime, which allows various deductions and exemptions, and the new regime, which offers lower tax rates without exemptions.

  In this article, we will learn about:

• Income Tax Slabs under the old regime
• Income Tax Slabs under the new regime
• Comparison of Tax slabs under both the regimes
• How to calculate income tax under both tax regimes
• Meaning of Surcharge 
• Consequences of not filing ITR within the due date

What is an Income Tax Slab?

In India, the Income Tax applies to individuals based on a slab system, where different tax rates are assigned to different income ranges. As the person's income increases, the tax rates also increase. This type of taxation allows for a fair and progressive tax system in the country. The income tax slabs are revised periodically, typically during each budget. These slab rates vary for different groups of taxpayers.

Changes made to New Tax Regime in Budget 2024

• Revised Slabs: The slabs have been revised in the new regime
• Enhanced Standard Deduction: The standard deduction for salaried employees has been increased to Rs. 75,000 under the new regime
• Family Pension: The deduction on family pension received has been increased from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000
• NPS Contribution: The deduction limit on employer's contribution to NPS has been increased to 14% from 10%
  As a result of the above changes, a salaried employee in the new tax regime can save up to Rs. 17,500 in taxes.

Income Tax Slabs for FY 2024-25 (AY 2025-26) Under New Regime

The Budget 2024 introduced significant changes to the tax slabs under the New Tax Regime, which will be applicable for FY 2024-25 (AY 2025-26). Taxpayers can now benefit from revised tax slabs, along with an increased standard deduction and an enhanced family pension deduction.
Here’s a breakdown of the revised income tax slabs for FY 2024-25 under the new regime:

Note: Tax rebate up to Rs.25,000 is applicable if the total income does not exceed Rs 7,00,000 (not applicable for NRIs).

Income Tax Slabs for FY 2024-25 (AY 2025-26) Under Old Regime

There were no changes made to the tax slabs under the old regime in the budget 2024. The tax slabs under the old regime are as follows:
Income tax slabs for individuals aged below 60 years & HUF

NOTE:

• The income tax exemption limit is up to Rs 2,50,000 for Individuals, HUF below 60 years aged, and NRIs.
• Surcharge and cess will be applicable.

Income tax slab for individuals aged above 60 years to 80 years

NOTE:

• The income tax exemption limit is up to Rs.3 lakh for senior citizens aged above 60 years but less than 80 years.
• Surcharge and cess will be applicable. 

Income tax slab for Individuals aged more than 80 years

NOTE:

• Income tax exemption limit is up to Rs 5 lakh for super senior citizen aged above 80 years.
• Surcharge and cess will be applicable 

Key Features of the New Income Tax Regime for FY 2024-25

The key features of the new tax regime for FY 2024-25 is as follows:

• Default tax regime: It is the default tax regime. If individuals want to choose the old regime then they have to file Form 10-IEA.
• Basic exemption limit: The basic exemption limit is Rs. 3 lakhs for everyone irrespective of their age.
• Rebate u/s 87A: Rebate u/s 87A is available to the individual taxpayers if their income is upto Rs. 7 lakhs. Hence, they will have zero tax liability if their income is under Rs. 7 lakhs.
• Surcharge: The highest surcharge rate is 25% under the new regime as opposed to 37% in the old regime.

Revised Income Tax Slabs Under the New Regime: Key Changes and Their Impact

The Union Budget 2024 has introduced significant updates to the income tax regime, aimed at simplifying the tax structure and providing relief to taxpayers. The revised income tax slabs bring expanded thresholds for certain categories, ensuring more taxpayers benefit from lower rates. These changes not only reflect the government’s commitment to boosting disposable income but also encourage individuals to adopt the new tax regime. The following table depicts the changes made in the new regime to benefit the taxpayers:

Comparison of Tax Rates Under New Tax Regime & Old Tax Regime for FY 2024-25 (AY 2025-26)

Revised Income Tax Slab Rate Calculation for AY 2025-26 (FY 2024-25) – For New Regime

Income Tax Slab Rate Calculation AY 2024-25 (FY 2023-24) – For New Regime

Default Regime

From FY 2023-24 the new tax regime is the default regime. If you want to file your ITR under the old regime then you have to file Form 10-IEA.

How to Calculate Income Tax from Income Tax Slabs?

Illustration 1: Rohit has a total taxable income of Rs 8,00,000. This income has been calculated by including income from all sources, such as salary, rental income, and interest income. Deductions under Section 80 have also been reduced. Rohit wants to know his tax dues as per the old regime for FY 2023-24 (AY 2024-2025).

Note:
Please note that Rohit is an individual taxpayer assessee having an income tax exemption of Rs 2,50,000. For other taxpayer assessees, i.e. senior citizens and super senior citizens, the Income-tax limit for availing the exemption would be Rs 3,00,000 & Rs 5,00,000, respectively.
Individuals with net taxable income less than or equal to Rs 5 lakh will be eligible for tax rebate u/s 87A under the old tax regime, i.e. tax liability will be NIL.

Important Points to note if you select the new tax regime:

• Please note that the tax rates in the New tax regime are the same for all categories of Individuals, i.e. Individuals, Senior citizens, and Super senior citizens. 
• Individuals with net taxable income less than or equal to Rs 7 lakh will be eligible for tax rebate u/s 87A, i.e. tax liability will be NIL under the new regime.

What is Surcharge?

In case the income exceeds a certain threshold, the additional taxes are to be paid over and above existing tax rates. This is an additional tax on the High Income Earners.
Surcharge rates are as below:
10% of Income tax if total income > Rs.50 lakh and < Rs.1 crore,
15% of Income tax if total income > Rs.1 crore and < Rs.2 crore,
25% of Income tax if total income > Rs.2 crore and < Rs.5 crore,
37% of Income tax if total income > Rs.5 crore                  
*In Budget 2023, the highest surcharge rate of 37% has been reduced to 25% under the new tax regime. (applicable from 1st April 2023)

• Surcharge rates of 25% or 37% will not apply to the income from dividends and capital gains taxable under sections 111A (Short Term Capital Gain on Shares), 112A (Long Term Capital Gain on Shares), and 115AD (Tax on the income of Foreign Institutional Investors). Therefore, the highest surcharge rate on the tax payable for such incomes will be 15%.
• The surcharge rate for an Association of Persons (AOP) consisting entirely of companies will also be limited to 15%.

Additional Health and Education cess at the rate of 4% will be added to the income tax liability.

Exemptions and Deductions Not Claimable under the New Tax Regime

The following are some of the major deductions and exemptions you cannot claim under the new tax regime:

• The deduction under Section 80TTA/80TTB 
• Professional tax and entertainment allowance on salaries
• Leave Travel Allowance (LTA)
• House Rent Allowance (HRA)
• Allowances to MPs/MLAs 
• Minor child income allowance
• Helper allowance
• Children education allowance
• Other special allowances [Section 10(14)]
• Additional depreciation under section 32(1)(iia)
• Deductions under section 32AD, 33AB, 33ABA
• Various deductions for donation for or expenditure on scientific research contained in section 35(2AA) or 35(1)(ii) or (iia) or (iii)
• Deduction under section 35AD or section 35CCC
• Interest on housing loan on the self-occupied property or vacant property (Section 24)
• Chapter VI-A deduction (Section 80C, 80D, 80E and so on, except Section 80CCD(2) and Section 80JJAA)
• Exemption or deduction for any other perquisites or allowances including food allowance of Rs 50/meal subject to 2 meals a day
• Employee's (own) contribution to NPS
• Donation to Political party/trust, etc

What are the Exemptions and Deductions Available Under the New Regime?

Under the New tax regime, you can claim tax exemption for the following:

• Transport allowances in case of a specially-abled person.
• Conveyance allowance received to meet the conveyance expenditure incurred as part of the employment.
• Any compensation received to meet the cost of travel on tour or transfer.
• Daily allowance received to meet the ordinary regular charges or expenditure you incur on account of absence from his regular place of duty.
• Perquisites for official purposes
• Exemption on voluntary retirement 10(10C), gratuity u/s 10(10) and Leave encashment u/s 10(10AA)
• Interest on Home Loan on let-out property (Section 24)
• Gifts up to Rs 50,000
• Deduction for employer’s contribution to NPS account [Section 80CCD(2)]
• Deduction for additional employee cost (Section 80JJA)
• Budget 2023 introduced a standard deduction of Rs 50,000 under New Tax Regime applicable from FY 2023-24. This has been increased to Rs.75,000 in Budget 2024 applicable from FY 2024-25 
• Budget 2023 also introduced deduction under Section 57(iia) of family pension income
• Budget 2023 further introduced deduction of amount paid or deposited in the Agniveer Corpus Fund under Section 80CCH(2)
• In Budget 2024 Limit of maximum Deduction under Family Pension has been increased from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000. 
• The deduction on employers contribution to pension Scheme as per Section 80CCD (2) has been increased from 10% of salary to the 14% of salary in Budget 2024.

Here's a detailed list of exemptions and deductions available under the Old vs New Regime.

Comparison of Income Tax Slabs under New Regime Before and After Budget

Only the Income tax slabs under the new regimes were revised in the Union Budget 2024. Here's the comparison between tax slab before and after budget:

Old Tax Regime Vs New Tax Regime - Which is Better?

The new tax regime can largely benefit middle-class taxpayers who have a taxable income of up to Rs 15 lakh. The old regime is a better option for high-income earners.
The new income tax regime is beneficial for people who make low investments. As the new regime offers six lower-income tax slabs, anyone paying taxes without claiming tax deductions can benefit from paying a lower rate of tax under the new tax regime. For instance, the assessee having total income before deduction up to Rs 12 lakh will have higher tax liability under the old system if they have investments less than Rs. 3,12,500. Therefore, if you invest less in tax-saving schemes, go for the new regime.
That being said, if you already have in place a financial plan for wealth creation by making investments in tax-saving instruments; medical claims and life insurance; making payments of children’s tuition fees; payment of EMIs on education loan; buying a house with a home loan; and so on, the old regime helps you with higher tax deductions and lower tax outgo.
In light of the above and considering the new income tax regime, if taxpayers want to opt for the concessional tax rates, they may evaluate both regimes. Hence, it is advisable to do a comparative evaluation and analysis under both regimes and then choose the most beneficial one, as it may vary from person to person. Read a detailed breakdown on this topic here.

When Can I Opt for Old vs New Regime?

Income Tax Rate for Domestic Companies 

*Please refer to the new sections for checking the applicability for the above concessional income tax rates.

NOTE:

• Additional Health and Education cess at the rate of 4 % will be added to the income tax liability in all cases.
• Surcharge applicable for companies is as below:
• 7% of Income tax where total income > Rs 1 crore,
• 12% of Income tax where total income > Rs.10 crore,
• 10% of income tax where domestic company opted for section 115BAA and 115BAB.

Income Tax Rate for Partnership Firm or LLP as per Old/New Regime

A partnership firm/ LLP is taxable at 30%.                  
NOTE:

• 12% Surcharge is levied on income is more than Rs 1 crore
• Health and Education Cess at the rate of 4% will be applicable
• No concessional rates are introduced for firms LLPs in the next tax regime

Income Tax Slab for FY 2022-23 and FY 2024-25 for Domestic Companies

NOTE:

• In addition cess and surcharge are levied as follows: 
  • Cess: 4% of corporate tax
  • Surcharge applicability:
    • Taxable income is more than 1 Crore but less than 10 Crores: 7%
    • Taxable income is more than 10 Crores: 12%

Related Articles:      
Old vs New Tax Regime      
Section 115BAC of Income Tax Act      
Income Tax Changes From 1 April 2024: New Tax Regime Will Be Default      
Form 10-IEA Purpose, Applicability, How to Fill & Submit Form      
Tax free Income in India      
E-Return Intermediary (ERI) Income Tax      
Form 61B of Income-tax Act      
Form 26B of Income-tax Act      
CRN Number in Income Tax      
Income Tax Customer Care       

How To Save Tax:      
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?