How we worked it out
For each salary we calculated tax under the new regime (with the ₹75,000 standard deduction, the rebate up to ₹12 lakh of taxable income and marginal relief) and under the old regime (₹50,000 standard deduction) at three levels of deductions. The last column is the result of a search: the smallest amount of deductions, beyond the standard deduction, that makes old-regime tax equal to new-regime tax. All figures include 4% cess and use the same code as our income tax calculator, for a resident under 60 in tax year 2026-27.
| Salary (gross) | New regime tax | Old: ₹1.5L deductions | Old: ₹3.75L deductions | Old: ₹5.75L deductions | Deductions needed to match the new regime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹6 lakh | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹0.5 lakh |
| ₹8 lakh | ₹0 | ₹33,800 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹2.5 lakh |
| ₹10 lakh | ₹0 | ₹75,400 | ₹28,600 | ₹0 | ₹4.5 lakh |
| ₹12 lakh | ₹0 | ₹1,17,000 | ₹70,200 | ₹28,600 | ₹6.5 lakh |
| ₹12.75 lakh | ₹0 | ₹1,40,400 | ₹85,800 | ₹44,200 | ₹7.2 lakh |
| ₹15 lakh | ₹97,500 | ₹2,10,600 | ₹1,40,400 | ₹91,000 | ₹5.4 lakh |
| ₹18 lakh | ₹1,50,800 | ₹3,04,200 | ₹2,34,000 | ₹1,71,600 | ₹6.4 lakh |
| ₹20 lakh | ₹1,92,400 | ₹3,66,600 | ₹2,96,400 | ₹2,34,000 | ₹7.1 lakh |
| ₹25 lakh | ₹3,19,800 | ₹5,22,600 | ₹4,52,400 | ₹3,90,000 | ₹8 lakh |
| ₹30 lakh | ₹4,75,800 | ₹6,78,600 | ₹6,08,400 | ₹5,46,000 | ₹8 lakh |
| ₹40 lakh | ₹7,87,800 | ₹9,90,600 | ₹9,20,400 | ₹8,58,000 | ₹8 lakh |
| ₹50 lakh | ₹10,99,800 | ₹13,02,600 | ₹12,32,400 | ₹11,70,000 | ₹8 lakh |
₹1.5 lakh = 80C only (section 123 in the new Act). ₹3.75 lakh = 80C + ₹25,000 health insurance + ₹2 lakh home-loan interest. ₹5.75 lakh adds ₹2 lakh of HRA exemption.
What the numbers say
- Up to ₹12.75 lakh of salary, the new regime is tax-free. The rebate wipes out all tax, so no set of deductions can beat zero.
- At ₹15 lakh, you'd need about ₹5.4 lakh in deductions for the old regime to break even. That's more than 80C and health insurance combined; only people with a home loan and a large HRA claim get there.
- At ₹20 lakh the break-even is around ₹7.1 lakh, and at ₹30 lakh about ₹8 lakh. Higher earners with a large home loan and HRA are the group for whom the old regime can still win.
- The break-even rises and then levels off because both regimes reach 30% at the top; the difference is mostly the lower slabs.
Who should still check the old regime
If you pay a large rent in a metro and claim HRA, pay home-loan interest near the ₹2 lakh limit, and fully use 80C and health insurance, add them up and compare with the last column for your salary. Otherwise, the new regime almost certainly costs less, and it frees you from buying tax-saving products you don't otherwise need. Employer NPS contributions are deductible in both regimes (up to 14% of basic in the new, 10% in the old), so they barely change the comparison.
Check your own numbers
This table uses round figures. Your own salary structure, age and deductions change the answer, so run them in the income tax calculator, work out HRA precisely with the HRA calculator, and see the monthly effect in the in-hand salary calculator.