Section 87A Rebate for AY 2026–27: Who Gets Zero Tax Up to Rs.12 Lakh?
🧾 Income Tax 13 October 2026 · 15 min read Home › Blogs › Income Tax › Section 87A Rebate for AY 2026–27 Section 87A Rebate for AY 2026–27: Who Gets Zero Tax Up to ₹12 Lakh? Section 87A rebate for AY 2026-27 explained: who gets zero tax up to 12 lakh, the ₹60,000 limit, marginal relief, exclusions and how to claim it. NS CA Nainit Savla Chartered Accountant, Mumbai & Hyderabad • Published 13 Oct 2026 1 ₹12 LAKH Taxable income limit New regime · resident individuals only 2 ₹60,000 Maximum rebate Equals slab tax on ₹12 lakh Old regime: ₹12,500 3 ₹0 TAX Salary up to ₹12.75 lakh After ₹75,000 std deduction Marginal relief to ~₹12.7 lakh AY 2026-27 · FY 2025-26 · Not available on capital gains taxed at special rates Section 87A rebate is a reduction in income tax that the Income Tax Act, 1961 allows to a resident individual whose total income stays within a set limit, and for AY 2026-27 it brings the tax to nil for anyone with taxable income up to ₹12 lakh under the new regime. The rebate is capped at ₹60,000 in the new regime and at ₹12,500 in the old regime, where the income limit is only ₹5 lakh. Because the slab tax on exactly ₹12 lakh is ₹60,000, a resident individual gets zero tax up to 12 lakh of taxable income, and a salaried employee reaches that point at a gross salary of ₹12.75 lakh after the ₹75,000 standard deduction. The benefit has limits that catch many filers: it excludes non-residents, HUFs and companies, and it does not reduce tax on capital gains taxed at special rates. This guide explains who qualifies, how marginal relief works above the limit, and how to claim the rebate correctly in your return. What Is Section 87A Rebate and Who Gets Zero Tax Up to ₹12 Lakh? What is Section 87A rebate? It is a tax rebate that reduces the income tax payable by a resident individual, and it applies after the tax on total income has been worked out at the normal slab rates. A resident individual with taxable income up to ₹12 lakh under the new regime gets zero tax up to 12 lakh, because the rebate of up to ₹60,000 matches the entire slab tax on that income. The arithmetic is simple. In the new regime for AY 2026-27, the first ₹4 lakh of income is taxed at nil, the next ₹4 lakh at 5 per cent and the next ₹4 lakh at 10 per cent. A taxable income of ₹12 lakh therefore produces ₹20,000 plus ₹40,000, which is ₹60,000. The Section 87A rebate cancels exactly that amount, so no tax and no cess remain to pay. This is the 87A rebate for AY 2026-27 in its simplest form. Under the Section 87A rebate in new regime, salaried employees, pensioners, freelancers, small traders and professionals all qualify, provided they are resident individuals and their income is taxed at normal slab rates. Taxpayers who want a second opinion on their slab tax before filing can use our income tax advisory support, and the table below shows who qualifies at a glance. Rebate available Rebate not available ← Scroll to see the full table → Taxpayer or income Rebate position for AY 2026-27 Result Resident individual, new regime, taxable income up to ₹12 lakh Up to ₹60,000 Tax is nil Resident individual, old regime, taxable income up to ₹5 lakh Up to ₹12,500 Tax is nil Non-resident individual (NRI) Not eligible Slab tax applies HUF, firm, LLP, company or trust Not eligible Slab or flat tax applies Capital gains under Sections 111A, 112 and 112A No rebate on this tax Tax payable in full What Is the Section 87A Rebate Limit for AY 2026-27 in the New and Old Regime? The Section 87A rebate limit for AY 2026-27 is ₹60,000 in the new regime for total income up to ₹12 lakh, and ₹12,500 in the old regime for total income up to ₹5 lakh. The 87A rebate for AY 2026-27 applies to income earned in FY 2025-26 and was set by the Finance Act, 2025. New regime Old regime ← Scroll to see the full table → Feature New regime Old regime Total income limit ₹12,00,000 ₹5,00,000 Maximum rebate ₹60,000 ₹12,500 Marginal relief above the limit Yes No Standard deduction for salary ₹75,000 ₹50,000 Zero-tax gross salary ₹12,75,000 ₹5,50,000 The new regime slabs behind the ₹60,000 figure are nil up to ₹4 lakh, 5 per cent from ₹4 lakh to ₹8 lakh, 10 per cent from ₹8 lakh to ₹12 lakh, 15 per cent from ₹12 lakh to ₹16 lakh, 20 per cent from ₹16 lakh to ₹20 lakh, 25 per cent from ₹20 lakh to ₹24 lakh and 30 per cent above ₹24 lakh. The rebate cannot exceed the tax actually payable, so a taxpayer with taxable income of ₹10 lakh and tax of ₹40,000 receives a rebate of ₹40,000, not ₹60,000, which is how the 87A rebate for AY 2026-27 treats mid-income earners. The Section 87A rebate in new regime is the default position, because the new regime applies automatically unless a taxpayer opts out. The Section 87A rebate old regime is far smaller and ends abruptly: at a total income of ₹5,00,001 the rebate disappears and the tax jumps to about ₹13,000 including cess. For a full comparison of the two regimes, read our guide on new regime versus old regime for AY 2026-27. 📋 Note The ₹12 lakh limit is tested on total income after allowed deductions, not on gross salary. For tax years beginning 1 April 2026, the same rebate appears as Section 156 of the Income-tax Act, 2025, but returns for AY 2026-27 are still filed under the 1961 Act and its Section 87A. Who Is Eligible for Section 87A Rebate and Who Is Excluded? Only an individual who is resident in India during the previous year is eligible for Section 87A rebate; non-resident
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