Tax Treatment of Reimbursements Under Old vs New Regime — Complete Guide 2026
Updated: June 2026Tax Year 2026-27SalariedSalary Structuring
Your salary slip may show many components beyond basic salary — fuel reimbursement, mobile reimbursement, book allowance, uniform allowance, leave travel allowance, food coupons. Some are fully tax-free. Others are exempt up to a limit. And a few are entirely taxable perquisites depending on how they're structured. Critically, many of these exemptions disappear if you switch to the new tax regime. This guide maps out exactly which reimbursements are tax-free under which regime, how to claim them, and how to structure your salary optimally.
Use the Income Tax CalculatorModel the tax impact alongside this guide.
Reimbursements vs Allowances — The Critical Distinction
Before diving into exemptions, understand the difference:
Reimbursement: Employer pays you back for an expense you've actually incurred. Requires bills/receipts. If you submit bills for ₹5,000 in fuel, you get ₹5,000 — no more, no less.
Allowance: A fixed sum paid as part of salary regardless of actual expense. You receive it whether or not you spend it. Example: ₹3,000/month fuel allowance regardless of actual fuel bills.
Tax treatment differs significantly. Genuine reimbursements against bills are generally non-taxable (since no income is created — you're just recovering a cost). Allowances are taxable unless specifically exempt under the Income Tax Act.
Reimbursements and Allowances — Old Regime vs New Regime
Reimbursement / Allowance Type
Old Regime Treatment
New Regime Treatment
Limit / Condition
Leave Travel Allowance (LTA)
Exempt — up to actual travel cost (economy air / 1st class rail) for 2 journeys in 4-year block
❌ Not available
Only India travel; only economy/1st class; last block: 2022–25
HRA (House Rent Allowance)
Exempt — as per Section 10(13A) formula
❌ Not available
Min of: actual HRA, rent−10% salary, 50%/40% salary
Children Education Allowance
Exempt ₹100/month per child (max 2 children)
❌ Not available
Max ₹2,400/year for 2 children
Children Hostel Allowance
Exempt ₹300/month per child (max 2 children)
❌ Not available
Max ₹7,200/year for 2 children
Food / Meal Vouchers
Exempt up to ₹50/meal (non-transferable, working hours)
❌ Not available
~₹26,400/year (assuming 22 working days × 2 meals)
Fuel / Transport Reimbursement (with bills)
Fully exempt if actual reimbursement against bills for official duty
✅ Also available (actual reimbursement for official duty)
Must be actual cost, must be for official purpose with bills
Mobile / Telephone Reimbursement
Exempt up to actual bill submitted (personal + official use allowed)
✅ Exempt if genuine reimbursement against actual bill
Bill in employee's name; submit to employer; no fixed limit but proportionality applies
Internet Reimbursement
Exempt — actual cost against bill
✅ Exempt if genuine reimbursement
Broadband bill in employee's name; no specific CBDT cap
Books / Periodicals / Newspapers
Exempt — actual cost against bills submitted to employer
❌ Not specifically available
Must be relevant to professional work; magazines, academic texts
Uniform Allowance / Reimbursement
Exempt — for employer-mandated uniform worn only at work
❌ Not available (it's a perquisite if not mandated)
No longer separately exempt (subsumed in ₹50,000 standard deduction)
₹50,000 standard deduction available
Old ₹15,000 medical exemption removed since FY2018-19
Car facility (company-owned)
Perquisite — taxed at ₹1,800–₹2,400/month (based on cc)
Perquisite — same valuation applies
Perquisite valuation under Rule 3 of IT Rules
Driver salary reimbursement
Perquisite — ₹900/month addl to car perquisite
Perquisite — same
Added to car perquisite value
Club membership / recreational
Fully taxable perquisite (unless for official use)
Fully taxable perquisite
No exemption; company pays but employee is taxed
Gift vouchers from employer
Exempt up to ₹5,000/year
❌ Not available
Any gift above ₹5,000/year is fully taxable
Standard Deduction from Salary
₹50,000
₹75,000 (enhanced under Income Tax Act 2025)
No bills required; automatic deduction
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New Regime Standard Deduction Enhancement: Under the Income Tax Act 2025 (effective Tax Year 2026-27), the standard deduction for salaried employees under the new regime is ₹75,000 (up from ₹50,000 under the old Act). The standard deduction under the old regime remains ₹50,000. This ₹25,000 difference partly compensates for the many exemptions lost in the new regime.
Which Reimbursements Survive the New Regime?
Most salary exemptions are unavailable in the new regime. However, certain genuine reimbursements against actual expenses remain non-taxable in both regimes because they don't constitute income — they are merely recovery of costs incurred for business purposes:
Official travel reimbursement: If you travel for work and claim the exact ticket/cab cost, this is not income — it's a reimbursement of a business expense. Non-taxable in both regimes.
Mobile/internet reimbursement against bill: If your employer reimburses your actual mobile bill (you submit the bill), this is generally not treated as income — it's a legitimate business expense. Non-taxable if the amount is reasonable and supported by bills.
Tools/equipment reimbursement: For roles that require specific tools or equipment for work, genuine reimbursement against bills is not income.
What doesn't survive is the category of allowances that are fixed amounts exempt up to a limit (meal coupons, LTA, children's education allowance, book allowance as a flat amount). These all become taxable in the new regime.
Case Study: Arjun vs Meera — Salary Structuring Impact on Regime Choice
IT Product Manager, Bengaluru — Annual CTC ₹30 lakh
Arjun and Meera both earn ₹30 lakh CTC. Their salary structuring is different — Arjun's employer has optimised for old-regime savings, while Meera's employer gives a high basic with minimal allowances. Here's how their tax compares:
Special allowance: ₹4.7L/year | EPF employer: ₹72K/year
Effective deductions/exemptions in old regime: HRA ₹3.5L, LTA ₹60K, meal ₹26.4K, standard ₹50K, 80C ₹1.5L, 80D ₹25K = ~₹6.1L total
Old regime taxable income: ~₹20.5L → Tax: ~₹3.5L
New regime (₹75K standard deduction only): Taxable ₹29.25L → Tax: ~₹4.6L
Old regime saves ₹1.1L → Arjun stays old regime
Meera's Salary Structure (New Regime Friendly):
Basic: ₹18L/year | Special allowance: ₹10.5L/year | EPF employer: ₹72K
No HRA, no LTA (she owns her home, rarely travels)
New regime: ₹29.25L taxable → Tax: ~₹4.6L
Old regime with 80C+80D: ₹27.75L → Tax: ~₹5.0L
New regime saves ₹40K → Meera switches to new regime
Arjun — Optimal Regime
Old Regime (saves ₹1.1L)
Meera — Optimal Regime
New Regime (saves ₹40K)
Key Driver
HRA + LTA + meal coupons
Lesson
Salary structure decides regime — not just income level
Perquisites — Always Taxable, Both Regimes
Certain employer-provided benefits are classified as perquisites and are taxable under both old and new regimes. The employer adds the perquisite value to the employee's salary and deducts TDS accordingly.
Perquisite
Taxable Value
Notes
Rent-free / concessional accommodation
15% of salary (metro) / 10% (non-metro) if govt-owned, or actual rent if leased
Reduced by rent recovered from employee
Company car (personal use)
₹1,800/month (up to 1600cc) or ₹2,400/month (above 1600cc)
Plus ₹900/month if driver provided
Free meals in excess of ₹50/meal
Amount exceeding ₹50/meal
Only working hours meals exempt at ₹50
Medical facility (non-hospital)
Fully taxable (above ₹15K cap removed)
Only ESIC/govt hospital treatment is exempt
Interest-free / concessional loans
Difference vs SBI rate × outstanding balance
Exempt if loan below ₹20,000 or for medical treatment
ESOPs (at exercise)
FMV on exercise date − exercise price = perquisite; TDS deducted by employer
Further capital gains tax on subsequent sale
LTA — The 4-Year Block and 2026-29 Planning
Leave Travel Allowance is a critical old-regime exemption that many salaried employees don't optimise. Key rules:
LTA exemption available for 2 journeys in a 4-year block
Current block: 2022–2025 (Jan 2022–Dec 2025)
Next block: 2026–2029 — starts fresh from January 2026
Only domestic travel within India qualifies
Maximum exemption = actual airfare (economy) or 1st class/AC-1 rail fare
Only travel for self, spouse, dependent children, and dependent parents qualifies
If you are in the old regime and your employer pays LTA, start planning your 2 domestic trips for the 2026-2029 block. If you skip both in any block, you can carry one journey forward to the first calendar year of the next block only.
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Bills Are Not Optional — They Are Mandatory: For reimbursements to remain tax-free (in either regime), you must submit actual bills. Employers who pay "reimbursements" without collecting bills are exposing both themselves and employees to scrutiny. If an AO finds that your fuel reimbursement of ₹5,000/month was paid without collecting bills, the entire amount may be treated as salary income with TDS shortfall implications for the employer and a demand for the employee.
Salary Restructuring for Tax Year 2026-27
If you are choosing the old regime and your employer allows salary restructuring, optimise your structure to maximise tax-free components:
Maximise HRA (typically 40–50% of basic for metro vs non-metro)
Include LTA — ₹50,000–₹75,000/year is common
Include meal coupons / food reimbursement — ₹26,400/year tax-free
Include phone reimbursement (₹18,000–₹24,000/year against bills)
Include book/periodical allowance (₹12,000–₹15,000/year against bills)
If you have school-going children, include children's education allowance (₹2,400/year)
If you are choosing the new regime, these exemptions are worthless — you'd want a higher basic/special allowance structure instead, which translates to higher in-hand salary (since you aren't submitting bills for reimbursements that are taxable anyway).
Reimbursements — Key Takeaways
Most salary exemptions (HRA, LTA, meal coupons, books, children's education) are available only in old regime
Genuine reimbursements against actual bills (mobile, official travel, internet) are non-taxable in both regimes — they are cost recovery, not income
New regime standard deduction is ₹75,000 (vs ₹50,000 in old regime under new Act)
Perquisites (car, accommodation, ESOP) are taxable in both regimes
LTA: 2026–2029 is a new 4-year block — plan 2 domestic trips to utilise
Meal coupons (Sodexo/Zeta): up to ₹50/meal, only during working hours — ~₹26,400/year tax-free
Always submit bills for reimbursements to employer — no bills = taxable salary
Salary restructuring should match your regime choice — high exemptions for old regime, high basic for new regime
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Compare Old vs New Tax Regime
Use our income tax calculator to model your salary with all exemptions and compare your tax under both regimes for Tax Year 2026-27.
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Genuine reimbursements against actual bills (mobile, internet, broadband) where you submit the bill to your employer are generally not treated as income in either regime — they are a recovery of cost, not income. However, if your employer pays a fixed "mobile allowance" without requiring bills, that fixed amount is taxable under the new regime (it's an allowance, not a reimbursement). Under the old regime, such an allowance may still be exempt up to the actual bill amount if submitted. The key distinction: bill-backed reimbursement = not income. Fixed allowance without bills = taxable income.
No. Leave Travel Allowance (LTA) exemption is not available under the new tax regime. It is an old-regime exemption under Section 10(5). If you opt for the new regime, the LTA component in your salary becomes fully taxable. For those who travel frequently within India and have families, the LTA exemption (up to 2 journeys in a 4-year block) can be significant — sometimes ₹50,000–₹1,50,000 depending on travel class and family size. The 2026–2029 block is now running, so old-regime employees should plan their LTA journeys.
Under the Income Tax Act 2025 (effective Tax Year 2026-27), the standard deduction for salaried employees and pensioners under the new regime is ₹75,000. Under the old regime, the standard deduction remains ₹50,000. The enhanced ₹75,000 standard deduction in the new regime is part of the government's effort to make the new regime more attractive by partially compensating for the loss of other exemptions. For most salaried employees, however, the combination of HRA, LTA, meal coupons, and 80C/80D deductions in the old regime still exceeds the extra ₹25,000 standard deduction benefit.