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Nowadays most of the employed people are turning towards the New Tax Regime. Although it is believed that only income up to Rs 12.75 lakh is tax free, but do you know that even if you have an annual salary of Rs 15 lakh, you can reduce your tax to zero? Yes, it is possible. Under the new rules applicable for the financial year 2026-27, if you file your ITR by July 31, 2027, then through smart planning you can avoid paying even a single rupee of tax to the government. This is not magic, but the correct mathematics of allowances.

That secret formula of salary structure

If your annual salary is Rs 15 lakh and you take a simple salary structure, then your taxable income will be around Rs 13.62 lakh. In such a situation, you may have to pay a huge tax of more than Rs 87,000. But if you, along with your HR, make some smart changes in your CTC (Cost to Company), the situation can change. Including tax free reimbursements like meal coupons, phone bills and car maintenance can directly bring your taxable salary down to Rs 7.5 lakh, taking your tax to zero and increasing your in-hand salary.

Now you will get big benefit on food bill

After the introduction of the new Income Tax Act 2025, there has been a major change in the rules for meal coupons (like Sodexo or Zagal). According to the Income Tax Rules 2026, now the tax free limit of meal vouchers has been directly increased from Rs 50 to Rs 200 per meal. This is completely valid during office working hours. Apart from this, there is no tax on laptops, mobiles or tablets given by the company. At the same time, gym membership and medical insurance premiums also come under tax free benefits under the new regime.

How to save tax on car and phone expenses

If the company reimburses the money for internet and telephone bills used for office work, then it is completely tax free. You just have to submit its original bills. If we talk about company car, there is no tax on its use for office work. If the car is used for both personal and office purposes, tax is applicable based on engine capacity. According to the new guidelines, there is a rule of deduction of Rs 5,000 for an electric car or less than 1.6 liter and Rs 7,000 for a larger car. An additional Rs 3,000 is added if a driver is available.

Relief for office travel and disabled people

Generally, conveyance allowance for traveling from home to office is taxable in the new regime, but reimbursement for journeys performed in the course of duty is tax free. The biggest relief is for disabled employees. They get special discounts on transport allowance. This exemption is up to Rs 15,000 in metro cities and Rs 8,000 per month (with dearness allowance) in other cities, giving them huge tax relief.