New regime slabs (FY 2025-26)
Up to ₹4 lakh: nil · ₹4–8 lakh: 5% · ₹8–12 lakh: 10% · ₹12–16 lakh: 15% · ₹16–20 lakh: 20% · ₹20–24 lakh: 25% · above ₹24 lakh: 30%. A 4% health and education cess applies on the tax.
The rebate makes tax nil for resident individuals with taxable income up to ₹12 lakh. Marginal relief applies just above ₹12 lakh, so your tax can't exceed the income above ₹12 lakh. The rebate doesn't cover income taxed at special rates, such as capital gains on shares.
Old regime slabs (FY 2025-26)
For individuals below 60: up to ₹2.5 lakh nil · ₹2.5–5 lakh 5% · ₹5–10 lakh 20% · above ₹10 lakh 30%, plus 4% cess. Senior citizens (60–79) get a ₹3 lakh basic exemption and super seniors (80+) ₹5 lakh.
How to choose
Add up every deduction you can genuinely claim under the old regime. If the total is small, the new regime almost always wins. As a rough guide, at ₹15–20 lakh income the old regime starts to win only when deductions exceed about ₹4–5 lakh — so use the calculator with your own numbers.
Salaried people can pick a regime every year when filing their return. People with business or professional income can move from the new regime to the old only once in their lifetime, so choose carefully.
From 1 April 2026 the Income-tax Act, 2025 replaces the 1961 Act. Section numbers change, but rates and the broad choice between regimes continue. We'll update this guide whenever slabs change.