25/01/2025
Will Budget 2025 begin the end of old tax regime? SBI Research proposes to bring all in the new regime
SUMMARY
Budget 2025 tax regime and rate cut expectations: SBI research has proposed to bring all in the new tax regime. It has also suggested reducing the tax rate to 15% in the ₹10-15 lakh income bucket and setting a flat 15% tax rate on all bank deposits.
Budget 2025 tax change expectations: The Government of India may remove all exemptions under the old tax regime and bring all under the new tax regime, SBI Research has proposed in a report ahead of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech on February 1, 2025.
The report, however, suggests to retain and enhance the National Pension System (NPS) limit from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh and medical insurance exemption under section 80D to ₹50,000 from ₹25,000.
Further, SBI research has suggested reducing the tax rate to 15% in the ₹10-15 lakh income bucket and setting a flat 15% tax rate on all bank deposits.
"We estimate GoI can ensure better tax compliance and bolster consumption through enhancing disposable income, by moving all and one under the New Tax regime," Dr Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Adviser, SBI, said in the report.
Changes proposed by SBI Research
The report has proposed the following tax-relief measures for the government to adopt in the upcoming budget:
Remove all exemptions and bring all under the new tax regime, but retain and enhance the NPS limit from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh and enhance medical insurance exemption to ₹50,000 from ₹25,000
Retain peak rate at 30% for income above ₹15 lakh but reduce rate to 15% from 20% in ₹10-15 lakh income bracket.
Introduce a flat 15% tax on bank deposits across all maturities. Further, such income should be added to other income and delinked from the highest income bucket.
Increase the tax exemption limit for savings account deposits to ₹20,000.
"We propose this option for the Government and Consumers with the revenue loss at Rs 50,000 crores / 0.14% of GDP," SBI research said.