New Delhi, May 10 -- A salaried employee has the option to choose between the old and the new income tax regimes while filing their returns, though the latter one continues to remain the default option. In the Union Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not announce any changes to the existing income slab rates under either new or old tax regime.

The notified provisions under the Income Tax Act, 2025, and the Income-tax Rules, 2026, have retained the current tax slab structure effective from April 1. Meanwhile, the new tax regime continues to remain the default option for taxpayers under the revised framework.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) notified the Income-Tax Rules, 2026, on March 20, 2026, as part of the i...