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Indian tax law provides specific reliefs to resident senior citizens, but many depend on the tax regime and the nature of income. A senior citizen is generally a resident individual aged 60 years or more at any time during the relevant year. “Super senior citizen” is commonly used for a resident individual aged 80 years or more for old-regime slab purposes.

Slabs and standard deduction for AY 2026-27

Regular pension received by a retired employee is generally taxed under Salary. Family pension received after the employee's death is taxed under Income from Other Sources and has a separate deduction.

Interest deduction—section 80TTB

A resident senior citizen using the old regime can deduct up to ₹50,000 of interest on deposits with banks, qualifying co-operative banks and post offices. The deduction includes eligible savings and time-deposit interest. It is not available under the default new regime.

Under the Income-tax Act, 2025, the corresponding provision is section 153(2)(b), with the same ₹50,000 limit, but section 202 disallows it when the default new regime applies.

Medical deductions

• Section 80D: under the old regime, health-insurance premium can be deducted up to ₹50,000 for a senior-citizen self/family block. Qualifying medical expenditure for a senior citizen is covered within this limit where no health-insurance policy is in force for that person. An additional deduction of up to ₹50,000 can apply for senior-citizen parents. Preventive health check-up is included within the overall limit.
• Section 80DDB: qualifying expenditure on specified diseases can be deducted up to ₹1,00,000 for a senior citizen, after reducing insurance or employer reimbursement.

These Chapter VI-A deductions are generally not available in the default new regime. The corresponding 2025 Act provisions are sections 127 and 128.

Relief from advance tax

A resident senior citizen who has no income from business or profession is not required to pay advance tax. This relief is under section 207(2) of the 1961 Act and section 403(3) of the 2025 Act. Tax may still be payable as self-assessment tax before filing if TDS is insufficient.

TDS on interest

From 1 April 2025, the section 194A threshold for interest paid by a bank, qualifying co-operative bank or post office to a senior citizen is generally ₹1,00,000 in a financial year. Interest below this threshold can still be taxable. Form 15H may be submitted only when its conditions are satisfied.

Special return-filing relief for age 75 or more

Section 194P can remove the ITR filing requirement where all conditions are met, including:

• the taxpayer is a resident aged 75 years or more;
• income consists only of pension and interest from accounts maintained with the same specified bank;
• the prescribed declaration is furnished to that bank; and
• the bank computes total income after permitted deductions and rebate and deducts the required tax.

This is a narrow exemption, not a general exemption for everyone aged 75 or more. Under the Income-tax Act, 2025, the corresponding framework uses section 393, the return exception in section 263 and Form No. 125 (earlier Form 12BBA).

Other filing points

• A super senior citizen may file ITR-1 or ITR-4 in paper form where the notified conditions permit, although e-filing remains available.
• Interest, pension, capital gains, rental income and foreign assets can affect the correct ITR form.
• Reconcile Form 16, pension certificate, bank interest certificates, AIS and Form 26AS.
• Claim gross income and TDS separately; do not reduce income by tax deducted.

1961 Act and 2025 Act mapping

Conclusion

Senior-citizen relief depends on residence, age, regime and income type. Compare both regimes, verify whether pension is own pension or family pension, and do not assume that a higher TDS threshold makes interest exempt.