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Guide · Tax Slabs & Regimes

Section 87A Rebate FY 2025-26 — Rs 60,000, Zero Tax to Rs 12 Lakh

The revised Section 87A rebate under Budget 2025: Rs 60,000 in the new regime up to Rs 12 lakh taxable income, Rs 12.75 lakh for salaried, marginal relief above the limit, and why the rebate does not apply to capital gains.

Written by
TaxClue Editorial Desk
Updated
18 August 2026
Reading time
5 min
Questions
16 answered
  • Updated for FY 2025-26 / AY 2026-27
  • Post Budget 2025
  • Old & New Regime
Quick Answer

For FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27), the Section 87A rebate is up to Rs 60,000 under the new (default) regime when total taxable income is up to Rs 12 lakh — reducing tax to zero. A salaried person is tax-free up to Rs 12.75 lakh gross (after the Rs 75,000 standard deduction). The old regime rebate stays at Rs 12,500 for income up to Rs 5 lakh. The rebate does not apply to capital gains taxed at special rates (Sections 111A / 112A).

At a glance

Section 87A Rebate — FY 2025-26 Table

The rebate limit and income ceiling for each regime, with the effective tax-free income. See the full income tax slabs for context.

ParameterNew Regime (default)Old Regime
Maximum rebateRs 60,000Rs 12,500
Taxable-income ceilingUp to Rs 12,00,000Up to Rs 5,00,000
Effective tax-free incomeRs 12,00,000Rs 5,00,000
Salaried zero-tax (with std. deduction)Rs 12,75,000Rs 5,50,000
Standard deductionRs 75,000Rs 50,000
Marginal relief above limitYesN/A
Rebate on STCG 111A / LTCG 112ANoNo

Rebate figures are for resident individuals. The Income-tax Act, 2025 renumbers provisions from AY 2026-27 but the familiar "Section 87A" reference is retained.

Step by step

How the Rs 60,000 Rebate Works

The rebate is applied after tax is computed on the slabs and before the 4% health & education cess. If your tax on slab income is Rs 60,000 or less and your taxable income is within the ceiling, the rebate wipes it out entirely.

  1. 1Total incomeCompute gross total income
  2. 2DeductionsLess standard deduction (Rs 75k new)
  3. 3Tax on slabsNew-regime slab tax = Rs 60,000 at Rs 12L
  4. 4Apply 87ARebate up to Rs 60,000 → tax nil

Non-salaried · Rs 12,00,000

Taxable incomeRs 12,00,000
Tax on slabsRs 60,000
87A rebate− Rs 60,000
Cess 4%Rs 0
Total taxRs 0

Salaried · Rs 12,75,000 gross

Standard deduction− Rs 75,000
Taxable incomeRs 12,00,000
Tax on slabsRs 60,000
87A rebate− Rs 60,000
Total taxRs 0

The rebate is automatically applied while filing your income tax return — no separate claim or declaration is needed. Try the numbers on our income tax calculator.

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The core comparison

Old Regime vs New Regime Rebate

For FY 2025-26 the new regime is the default. Its Rs 60,000 rebate is far more generous than the old regime's Rs 12,500 — which is why most taxpayers with limited deductions are better off in the new regime.

Rs 12,500

Old regime — rebate up to Rs 5L

  • Rebate limited to Rs 12,500
  • Applies only if taxable income ≤ Rs 5 lakh
  • Standard deduction Rs 50,000
  • Chapter VI-A deductions (80C, 80D) available
  • No marginal relief at the Rs 5L edge
Rs 60,000

New regime — rebate up to Rs 12L

  • Rebate up to Rs 60,000
  • Applies if taxable income ≤ Rs 12 lakh
  • Standard deduction Rs 75,000
  • Most Chapter VI-A deductions not available
  • Marginal relief above Rs 12 lakh
TaxClue Insight

The new regime does not allow most deductions (80C, 80D, HRA, home-loan interest on let-out limited). If your genuine deductions are large, the old regime with 80C/80D may still beat the Rs 60,000 rebate — run both before you choose. See our old vs new regime comparison.

Not sure which regime saves you more?

Compare Old vs New →
Just above Rs 12 lakh

Marginal Relief — the Rs 12L Cliff, Softened

Without relief, earning Rs 1 over Rs 12 lakh would cost the full Rs 60,000+ tax — a harsh cliff. Budget 2025 provides marginal relief in the new regime: where income slightly exceeds Rs 12 lakh, the tax payable is capped at the amount by which income exceeds Rs 12 lakh.

Income Rs 12,10,000 (with relief)

Excess over Rs 12LRs 10,000
Tax on slabsRs 62,250
Marginal relief− Rs 52,250
Tax capped at excessRs 10,000
Total taxRs 10,000

Income Rs 12,00,000 (at limit)

Tax on slabsRs 60,000
87A rebate− Rs 60,000
Cess 4%Rs 0
Total taxRs 0
Marginal relief phases out

Marginal relief only helps for a narrow band above Rs 12 lakh (roughly up to about Rs 12.75 lakh, where normal slab tax becomes the lower figure). Beyond that band the full slab tax applies with no rebate. This is different from — and in addition to — the older marginal-relief provisions at the Rs 50L and Rs 1cr surcharge thresholds.

Watch out

Incomes Where 87A Does NOT Apply

Even if your total income is below Rs 12 lakh, the rebate cannot reduce tax on income taxed at special rates — chiefly capital gains after the 23 July 2024 changes.

Income typeSectionTax rate87A rebate?
STCG on listed equity / equity MF111A20%No
LTCG on listed equity / equity MF112A12.5% (above Rs 1.25L)No
Lottery / horse-race winnings115BB / 115BBJ30%No
Salary / business / interest / rentNormal slabsSlab ratesYes (if ≤ Rs 12L)

Post-23-Jul-2024: STCG u/s 111A on listed equity is 20%; LTCG u/s 112A is 12.5% with a Rs 1.25 lakh annual exemption.

Capital gains break the rebate

If Rs 12 lakh of your income includes, say, Rs 2 lakh of equity STCG, the rebate applies only to the normal-slab portion. The tax on the STCG at 20% stands on its own — the rebate cannot cancel it. Many DIY filers miss this and get a demand notice.

Sources
  1. Section 87A & Budget 2025: incometax.gov.in
  2. Finance Act 2025 — new-regime rebate raised to Rs 60,000 up to Rs 12 lakh
  3. Marginal relief: proviso to Section 115BAC / Section 87A, FY 2025-26
  4. Capital-gains rates: Sections 111A & 112A (as amended w.e.f. 23 Jul 2024)

Disclaimer: This guide is general information based on the law and notifications in force when it was last updated. It is not professional advice for your case — rates, thresholds and due dates change, so check the current position with the official source before you act on it.

People also ask

Questions, answered

Short, direct answers to the 16 questions readers ask most on this topic.

For FY 2025-26 the Section 87A rebate is up to Rs 60,000 under the new (default) regime when total taxable income is up to Rs 12 lakh, which reduces the tax to zero. Under the old regime the rebate stays at Rs 12,500 for income up to Rs 5 lakh. The rebate is for resident individuals only and does not apply to capital gains taxed at special rates.

Up to Rs 60,000. Budget 2025 raised the new-regime rebate so that a resident individual with taxable income up to Rs 12 lakh pays no income tax. The tax computed on the slabs at Rs 12 lakh is exactly Rs 60,000, and the rebate cancels it entirely.

Yes, for a resident individual under the new regime with only normal (slab) income. Tax on Rs 12 lakh works out to Rs 60,000, and the Section 87A rebate of Rs 60,000 brings it to nil. It is tax-free only if the income does not include special-rate income like equity capital gains.

First compute your total taxable income (after the Rs 75,000 standard deduction if salaried). Then compute tax on the slabs — at Rs 12 lakh this is Rs 60,000. Then apply the Section 87A rebate of up to Rs 60,000, which reduces the tax to zero. Finally 4% cess is added on the tax after rebate, which is also zero. The rebate is applied automatically when you file your ITR.

Because a salaried person gets the Rs 75,000 standard deduction in the new regime. Gross salary of Rs 12.75 lakh minus Rs 75,000 = Rs 12 lakh taxable, on which the Rs 60,000 rebate gives zero tax. So a salaried individual earning up to Rs 12.75 lakh gross pays no income tax under the new regime.

The Rs 12 lakh limit is on taxable income after the standard deduction. For a salaried person, the Rs 75,000 standard deduction is subtracted first; the rebate then applies if the resulting taxable income is up to Rs 12 lakh. That is why the effective gross ceiling for salaried taxpayers is Rs 12.75 lakh.

New regime: rebate up to Rs 60,000 for taxable income up to Rs 12 lakh, standard deduction Rs 75,000, marginal relief above Rs 12 lakh. Old regime: rebate up to Rs 12,500 for taxable income up to Rs 5 lakh, standard deduction Rs 50,000, no marginal relief at the edge, but 80C/80D and other deductions are available. The new-regime rebate is far more generous.

Yes. If you opt for the old regime, the Section 87A rebate remains Rs 12,500 for resident individuals with taxable income up to Rs 5 lakh. This has not changed. The Rs 60,000 rebate applies only under the new regime.

The new regime gives a much larger rebate (Rs 60,000 vs Rs 12,500) but disallows most deductions. If your genuine 80C, 80D, HRA and home-loan deductions are large, the old regime may still result in lower tax despite the smaller rebate. Compare both — the new regime is the default from FY 2023-24, so you must actively opt for the old regime if it suits you.

Marginal relief protects you. Without relief, Rs 1 over Rs 12 lakh would trigger the full tax with no rebate. With marginal relief in the new regime, your tax is capped at the amount by which your income exceeds Rs 12 lakh. So at Rs 12,00,001 the tax is limited to roughly Re 1 rather than the full Rs 60,000-plus.

At Rs 12,10,000 the excess over Rs 12 lakh is Rs 10,000, and normal slab tax is about Rs 62,250. Since the tax exceeds the excess income, marginal relief limits the tax to Rs 10,000 (the excess). You pay Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 62,250. The relief tapers off around Rs 12.75 lakh, after which normal slab tax applies.

Marginal relief helps only for a narrow band just above Rs 12 lakh — roughly up to about Rs 12.75 lakh, where the normal slab tax becomes lower than the capped amount. Beyond that band you pay the full slab tax with no rebate. Note this Rs 12 lakh relief is separate from the older marginal-relief at the Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore surcharge thresholds.

No. The Section 87A rebate cannot be adjusted against tax on capital gains taxed at special rates — short-term capital gains under Section 111A (listed equity, 20%) and long-term capital gains under Section 112A (listed equity, 12.5% above Rs 1.25 lakh). This applies under both regimes.

Only partially. The rebate applies to the tax on your normal (slab) income, but not to the tax on the STCG/LTCG portion taxed at special rates. So the tax on your equity capital gains still stands even though your total income is under Rs 12 lakh. Many taxpayers miss this and receive a demand notice.

After the 23 July 2024 changes: STCG on listed equity/equity mutual funds under Section 111A is taxed at 20%; LTCG under Section 112A is 12.5% with a Rs 1.25 lakh annual exemption. Lottery and similar winnings are taxed at 30%. The 87A rebate does not apply to any of these special-rate incomes.

No. The Section 87A rebate is applied automatically in the ITR computation once your regime and income are entered — there is no separate form, declaration or investment proof needed. Just ensure your regime selection and income heads are correct so the rebate is allowed on the eligible portion.