When the Union Budget papers closed this year, one truth emerged from the complex web of the Finance Bill, 2026: for the common taxpayer, this is a Budget of continuity, comfort and cautious compassion, not of sudden shock.
No New Burden, Familiar Slabs
The first and perhaps most reassuring message for households is that there is no change in the basic income tax slabs, neither under the old regime nor under the new default regime. Income up to ₹4 lakh remains tax-free, and the gentle step-up of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% continues thereafter. Senior citizens and very senior citizens can breathe easier, as their higher basic exemption limits of ₹3 lakh and ₹5 lakh respectively also remain untouched, with surcharge and the 4% health and education cess carried forward unchanged.
Ease of Living: From EPF to Accident Compensation
Where the Budget truly reaches into everyday life is in the “Ease of Living” basket. Contributions deducted from salaries towards PF and other employee welfare funds will now be treated more generously for employers. The deduction will be allowed so long as the employee’s share is deposited before the return filing due date, and not by the rigid statutory fund due date. This single stroke promises fewer disputes and less litigation for lakhs of small businesses, while still protecting employee money. For accident victims and their families, the law finally speaks the language of empathy. Any interest awarded on compensation by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal will be completely exempt in the hands of the recipient and, in parallel, will not be subjected to TDS. At a time when a family is counting hospital bills and court dates, this change turns a harsh technicality into a humane exception.
Paperwork Lightened for Ordinary Citizens
Several proposals gently smoothen the rough edges of compliance that the common man feels most keenly. The due date for filing returns for small businesses and non-audit professionals is proposed to be extended from 31 July to 31 August. The time limit to file a revised return will increase from 9 to 12 months, with a small late fee beyond nine months, acknowledging that honest mistakes should have room to be corrected. Investors who receive multiple small dividends and interest cheques will no longer have to chase every company or fund with repetitive declarations for nil TDS. Instead, a single declaration to the depository will flow downstream to all concerned, with quarterly rather than monthly forwarding to the Department.
Buy-backs: Fairness Between Promoters and Small Investors
Share buy-backs, once a tax worry, are placed on a more intuitive footing. Consideration received on buy-back will now be treated squarely as capital gains in the hands of shareholders, allowing ordinary investors to apply familiar cost and holding-period logic instead of unique deemed dividend concepts. At the same time, recognising the special position of promoters in steering such corporate decisions, the law ring-fences a higher effective tax burden on their buy-back gains—30% for individuals and 22% for promoter companies through an additional levy—tilting the balance slightly towards minority shareholders.
Softer Edges on Penalties, Stronger Channels for Honesty
For many honest taxpayers, it is not tax itself but the fear of penalty and jail that keeps them awake. Here too, the Finance Bill, 2026 softens its stand. Lesser, technical lapses—such as delays in tax audits or failure to file information reports—are being converted from open-ended penalties into graded, capped “fees”, bringing predictability and proportion to what was once a source of anxiety.
