New vs Old Tax Regime for Salaried Earners Above ₹12 Lakh (FY 2025-26): Which Wins for Whom
New vs Old Tax Regime for Salaried Earners Above ₹12 Lakh (FY 2025-26): Which Wins for Whom New vs Old Tax Regime for Salaried Earners Above ₹12 Lakh (FY 2025-26): Which Wins for Whom By The Bystander | July 2026 | Last date to file: 31 July 2026 The direct answer: For most salaried people earning above ₹12 lakh, the new regime now wins — the wider slabs and the ₹75,000 standard deduction beat a modest deduction stack. The old regime only pulls ahead if you can genuinely claim a large pile of deductions: roughly ₹6.9 lakh at a ₹18 lakh salary, and about ₹8.5 lakh once you cross ₹24 lakh (including the standard deduction). In practice that means a home loan plus high HRA plus a maxed 80C and NPS. If you don't have that stack, the new regime is almost certainly cheaper — and simpler. What's in this guide The two regimes side by side (slabs, deductions, rebate) Why ₹12 lakh is the line that changes everything The break-even: how many deductions you need ...