Continue on TOI App
Open App
OPEN APP

Income Tax Return Filing: Which salaried employees need to submit investment proofs to cut tax outgo?

Salaried employees opting for the old tax regime for FY 2024-25 m... Read More
Income Tax Filing FY 2024-25: Employers are currently requesting salaried employees to provide documentation of tax-saving investments and expenses if they wish to reduce their tax liability. These documents are essential to prevent complete tax deduction at source (TDS) from the salary.

Tired of too many ads?go ad free now
Most employees typically have until March to provide tax-saving documentation, however it is beneficial to submit them promptly. Until documentation is provided, employers will deduct the full tax amount from salary without considering any tax-saving investments. Tax specialists indicate that not every employee needs to submit investment documentation.

Which salaried employees are required to submit investment proof?


Regarding who must provide investment proof to avoid complete salary taxation, Prakash Hegde, a practising Chartered Accountant, told ET, "The employees who have opted for the old tax regime are required to submit investment proofs to their employers to claim exemptions and deductions via their employer. The employees who have opted for the new tax regime need not have to submit any proof for exemption and deductions as most of them are not available in the new tax regime."

The Income Tax Act, 1961's old tax regime provides various tax exemptions and deductions that individuals can claim to decrease their gross taxable income. This reduction in taxable income subsequently leads to lower income tax obligations.

Also Read | Small savings schemes: What are the latest interest rates for post office schemes like PPF, SSY, SCSS for Jan-March 2025?

Tired of too many ads?go ad free now
For those who selected the old tax regime at the beginning of the financial year, you'll need to provide investment proofs to claim tax-saving deductions. Here's a comprehensive list of common deductions and their required documentation:

  • For HRA exemption, tenants must provide their employer with a rent agreement and/or rent receipts. When yearly rent payments exceed Rs 1 lakh, the landlord's PAN details become mandatory for claiming the House Rent Allowance exemption.
  • Regarding Section 80C deduction proofs, individuals can reduce their gross total income by up to Rs 1.5 lakh before taxation. This requires specific investments or expenditures within the Rs 1.5 lakh limit, including PPF, EPF, ELSS mutual funds, NPS contributions, life insurance premiums, children's educational fees, and housing loan repayments.
  • Under Section 80D, taxpayers can claim deductions on health insurance premiums, with additional allowances for parents' coverage. The maximum deduction available for self and parents' health insurance premiums is Rs 1 lakh.
  • For Section 24B interest deduction, homeowners paying EMIs can claim up to Rs 2 lakh for interest paid on their housing loan.
  • An extra NPS deduction of Rs 50,000 is available beyond the Section 80C limit. Employers require proof for claiming this additional deduction.

Tax Deductions Available Under New Income Tax Regime


The new income tax regime permits only two deductions for taxpayers, eliminating the need to submit investment documentation. These include a standard deduction of Rs 75,000 from salary/pension earnings and a deduction up to 14% of basic salary for employer's NPS account contributions.

According to CBDT's statement dated August 2, 2024, "72% of taxpayers have opted for the New Tax Regime, while 28% continue to be in the Old Tax Regime." Documentation for these two deductions need not be submitted by employees.

Also Read | PAN 2.0: How to easily apply for PAN Card reprint with QR code - check 6 simple steps online

Flexibility in Tax Regime Selection for Salary TDS


Whilst employees can theoretically change their tax regime choice for TDS during the financial year, organisations often resist such changes due to administrative complexities involving TDS adjustments and documentation requirements.

Tax regulations permit switching between regimes during ITR filing, selecting the more advantageous option. For the financial year 2024-25, taxpayers must file returns by July 31, 2025. Late submissions will only be accepted under the new tax regime.

It is essential to file returns by July 31 to retain the option of choosing the old tax regime. Additionally, maintaining comprehensive documentation for exemptions and deductions is crucial for addressing potential queries from tax authorities during verification processes.

New Tax Regime 2023 vs 2024 After Budget: How Much Income Tax Will Salaried Taxpayers Save & How Do New Tax Slabs Compare To Old Regime?

Latest Income Tax Slabs FY 2024-2025 New Tax Regime 2023 vs New Tax Regime 2024 vs Old Tax Regime: Which income tax regime should you opt for post Budget 2024 - old regime or the revised new tax regime? How much income tax benefit will you get from the revised new tax regime, if you are already filing returns under the existing new regime? FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the standard deduction hike under the new tax regime and the new income tax slabs will result in salaried taxpayers saving Rs 17,500. How much income tax will you save at your salary level? We take a look at 10 tables sourced from EY to help you understand the new income tax changes and what they mean for taxpayers at various salary levels:

Latest Income Tax Slabs FY 2024-25 Under Revised New Tax Regime: FM Nirmala Sitharaman raised the standard deduction limit under the new tax regime to Rs 75,000 from the earlier limit of Rs 50,000. The tax slabs were also changed as detailed in the table.

Existing new regime 2023 versus revised new regime 2024: Let’s consider a scenario where an individual salaried taxpayer is earning Rs 5.5 lakh. In this scenario, if the taxpayer is already under the new (existing) regime, then there is no change under the revised new tax regime. Under both scenarios, the individual has to pay zero tax.

Existing new regime 2023 versus revised new regime 2024: For an individual having an income of Rs 10 lakh, the revised new income tax regime will bring a benefit of Rs 10,400, since the total tax outgo will reduce from Rs 54,600 under the existing new regime to Rs 44,200.

Existing new regime 2023 versus revised new regime 2024: Let’s now consider a salaried taxpayer with an income of Rs 20 lakh. In the existing new income tax regime versus revised new income tax regime comparison, the tax outgo will reduce by Rs 18,200.

​Existing new regime 2023 versus revised new regime 2024: For income levels above Rs 50 lakh, the surcharge kicks in. In our example, we are considering an income of Rs 65 lakh. The total tax saving under the revised new tax regime will be Rs 20,020 as against the existing new tax regime.

​Existing new regime 2023 versus revised new regime 2024: If an individual taxpayer has an income of Rs 6 crore, then under the revised new income tax regime, the tax benefit would be Rs 22,750 compared to the existing new tax regime.

Old versus revised new tax regime: Let us consider an individual with Rs 5.5 lakh income, who avails no deductions and exemptions except for standard deduction. For such a salaried taxpayer, the tax outgo under both the old and revised new tax regime is zero.

Old versus revised new tax regime: At a salary of Rs 7.75 lakh, for an individual availing Rs 50,000 standard deduction and Rs 50,000 Section 80C benefits under the old regime, the tax outgo is Rs 49,400. However, if this individual were to opt for the revised new income tax regime, then the tax outgo would be zero - which means a tax benefit of Rs 49,400 for switching from the old to the revised new tax regime.

Old versus revised new tax regime: At a Rs 20 lakh salary level, for an individual availing Rs 4 lakh as deductions and exemptions (including common ones like housing loan deductions/HRA and Section 80C) under the old income tax regime, the revised new tax regime would help save tax of Rs 26,000!



Stay informed with the latest Business News on Times of India. Explore updates on International Business, gain insights with Financial Literacy tips, and make use of Financial Calculators. Don’t forget to check the list of Bank Holidays in 2025, including Bank Holidays in January.
About the Author

TOI Business Desk

The TOI Business Desk is a vigilant and dedicated team of journal... Read More

Start a Conversation

Post comment
Continue Reading
Follow Us On Social Media
end of article
More Trending Stories
Visual Stories
More Visual Stories
UP NEXT
Do Not Sell Or Share My Personal Information