There are only a few days left for the budget (Budget 2026) to be presented, and every section of the society is expecting tax relief. In the last budget, the government surprised everyone by increasing the income tax exemption limit to Rs 12 lakh. Now, it is being said that the government may consider introducing joint taxation facility in this budget.
First of all, let us understand what this Joint Taxation System is. Actually, this is a separate provision to give income tax relief to married couples. If the government decides on this in the budget, it will be considered the biggest change in India’s tax system in decades. Right now, India’s tax system is individual-based, not family-based. This means that both husband and wife file separate income tax returns using different PANs and pay tax in different tax brackets. In other words, the family as a unit does not get any direct tax benefits.
Will married couples get any gifts in the budget?
Experts say that change, or rather relief, is needed. The biggest drawback of the current system is that if only one person in the family earns, the basic tax exemption of the other spouse goes waste. As a result, the family has to pay more tax than necessary on the same income. This disproportionately impacts single-income middle-class families where one spouse is unemployed, yet they do not get any benefits from the system.
If joint taxation applies, the total income of the husband and wife may be taxed together. This will enable better utilization of tax slabs, and the basic exemption limit can be increased. Couples can also take full advantage of deductions like home loan, health insurance and medical expenses. Additionally, both earning spouses can be given separate standard deductions.
Such system exists in many countries
Countries like the US and Germany already have family-based tax systems in place, where the entire family is considered a single economic unit. Implementing this model in India can make the tax system more fair. This change can also provide considerable benefits to taxpayers in terms of surcharge. Surcharge is applicable on income above Rs 50 lakh. In joint taxation, this limit can be increased to Rs 75 lakh or more, which will provide considerable relief to upper-middle-class and high-income families.
