Payments to the Beneficiaries Including Interest Payment on Deposit in Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme to be Fully Exempt

The Union Minister of Finance Shri Arun Jaitley in his Budget Speech in Lok Sabha today proposed rationalization of various tax exemptions and incentives to reduce tax disputes and improve tax administration. He said, with a view to encourage savings and to promote health care among individual tax payers, it is proposed to increase the limit of reduction of health insurance premium from ₹ 15,000 to ₹ 25,000 and for senior citizen this limit is increase from ₹ 20,000 to ₹ 30,000.

For senior citizen above the age of 80 years, not eligible to take health insurance, deduction is allowed for ₹ 30,000 toward medical expenditure.  Deduction limit of ₹ 60,000 on expenditure on account of specified diseases is enhanced to ₹ 80,000 in the case of senior citizens.

Additional deduction of ₹ 25,000 is allowed for differently-abled persons, increasing the limit from ₹ 50,000 to ₹ 75,000. It is also proposed to increase the limit of deduction from ₹ 1 lakh to ₹ 1.25 lakh in case of severe disability.

The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley also proposed to provide that investment in Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme will be eligible for deduction under section 80C of the income-tax and any payment from the scheme shall not be liable to tax.

Limit on deduction on account of contribution to a pension fund and the new pension scheme is proposed to be increased from ₹ 1 lakh to ₹ 1.5 lakh.

Additional deduction of ₹ 50,000 will be allowed for contribution to the new pension scheme u/s 80 CCD increasing from ₹ 1 lakh to ₹ 1.5 lakh.

Details of tax deductions proposed are as follows:

	Deduction u/s 80C	₹ 1,50,000
	Deduction u/s 80CCD	₹ 50,000
	Deduction on account of interest on house property loan (Self occupied property)	₹ 2,00,000
	Deduction u/s 80D on health insurance premium	₹ 25,000
	Exemption of transport allowance	₹ 19,200
	Total	₹ 4,44,200

Expanded tax deductions for individual savings and health expenses, and Sukanya Samriddhi withdrawals declared fully tax-exempt. The Budget expands deductions and exemptions for individuals: health insurance and medical expenditure deductions are increased, enhanced allowances are provided for seniors and specified diseases, disability deductions are raised with a higher threshold for severe disability, pension contribution limits and additional 80CCD relief are increased, and investment in the Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme qualifies under section 80C with all payments from the scheme exempt from tax.