In sops for the middle class, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman on Tuesday hiked standard deduction by 50 per cent to Rs 75,000 and tweaked tax slabs under the new income tax regime to provide more money in the hands of salaried class with a view to boost consumption.
She said salaried employees in the new tax regime could save up to Rs 17,500 in income tax annually following the changes announced in the Budget.
The standard deduction for salaried employees is proposed to be increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 annually. Similarly, deduction on family pension for pensioners is proposed to be enhanced from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000.
“This will provide relief to about four crore salaried individuals and pensioners,” Sitharaman said in her Budget speech.