Section 87A Rebate
Tax rebate that makes total income tax zero for taxable income up to ₹7 lakh in the new regime or ₹5 lakh in the old regime, for resident individuals.
Definition
Section 87A provides a tax rebate of up to ₹25,000 (new regime) or ₹12,500 (old regime), effectively making total income tax zero for taxable income up to ₹7 lakh (new) or ₹5 lakh (old). Available only to resident individuals; not HUFs or NRIs.
The rebate is a cliff — taxable income ₹7,00,001 in the new regime gets full tax with no rebate, dropping take-home suddenly. This is one reason small salary increases near the ₹7L threshold can feel painful in net terms.
Example
₹6.95L taxable in new regime → tax before rebate ≈ ₹19.5K → rebate ₹19.5K → final tax ₹0. ₹7.05L taxable → rebate is zero → tax ₹19.6K + cess.
Calculators that use this
Income Tax India
Calculate India income tax under both Old and New regimes side-by-side. See which regime saves more, with 87A rebate, cess, and standard deduction applied.
Open calculatorSalary Hike
Calculate your real take-home increase after a salary hike, factoring tax slabs, surcharge tiers, and 87A rebate cliffs across both old and new regimes.
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