No changes propsoed in Section 87A Rebate for AY 2027-28 (FY 2026-27) in Budget-2026-27

No changes proposed in Section 87A Rebate for AY 2027-28 ( FY 2026-27 ) under New Tax Regime and Old Tax Regime as per Union Budget 2026-27.

The Finance Minister today presented Union Budget 2026-27. No change has been proposed in Section 87A rebate in Union Budget 2026-27 for Section 87A Rebate for AY 2027-28 ( FY 2026-27 ). 

The existing Section 87A Rebate for AY 2026-27 (FY 2025-26) shall continue to be available for FY 2026-27 (AY 2027-28)

The rebate u/s 87A for AY 2026-27 and AY 2027-28 shall be as under:

The Finance Ministry has issued the following Table to illustrate total tax benefit of slab rate changes and rebate at different income levels can be illustrated in the table below:

Section 87A Rebate for AY 2025-26 (FY 2024-25) for New Tax Regime and Old Tax Regime 

Section 87A Rebate for AY 2025-26 viz-a-viz AY 2024-25 was as under:

In other words,

Income Tax Rebate under section 87A of Income Tax Act 1961 provides a rebate from income tax up to Rs. 12500/- to an individual resident assessee whose total income (taxable income) does not exceed Rs. five lakhs.

Thus, for those not opting for New Simplified Personal Income Tax Regime, taking into account deduction available under section 80C, income up to Rs. 7.00 lakhs (Rs. 12 lakhs for AY 2026-27) will be out of tax net.

Marginal relief under section 115BAC:

Marginal Relief ensures that the tax payable by a person having income marginally above Rs 12 lacs is required to pay only marginal amount of tax equal to the amount of income above Rs 12 lacs so that his carry home is also Rs 12 lacs. In this case he will be required to pay a tax of Rs 10,000/-

For example, for a person having income of Rs. 12,10,000/-, in the absence of marginal relief, the tax, works out to be Rs. 61,500/-(5% of Rs.4 lacs+10% of 4 lac and 15% of Rs.10 thousand). However, due to marginal relief, the amount of tax to be actually paid is Rs. 10,000/- (the amount by which the income exceeds Rs. 12 Lakhs).

The following table gives an example of Marginal relief for various income brackets:

• Object of assessment proceedings is not to find empirically correct solution on every fact issue – HC
• Penalty u/s 270A deleted as assessee filed revised computation during scrutiny
• Penalty u/s 271B for unfilled column 40 in Tax Audit Report Form 3CD deleted by ITAT
• Merely ex-parte rectifying computation without amending assessment order not make it nullity- ITAT
• Once assessee discharges primary onus, it shifts to AO to bring evidence to contrary – ITAT