From company cars to interest-free loans: CA explains what’s changing for salaried employees from April 1

Starting 1 April, 2026, salaried employees are set to see a massive overhaul in their corporate perks as the new Income Tax Act, 2025, gets implemented. The changes in corporate benefits rules under the Income Tax Rules, 2026, were notified by the government earlier in March.

In a social media post on X (Formerly Twitter), CA Nitin Kaushik, explained how the new Income Tax Rules could impact your take-home salary.

“Your office “perks” are undergoing a massive mathematical makeover that could quietly shrink your take-home pay by 2026,” he wrote in the X post.

The government is recalculating the value of non-monetary benefits under the new Income Tax Rules, 2026, the CA said.

“Under the new Income-tax Rules, 2026, the government is aggressively recalibrating the value of non-monetary benefits meaning items you thought were “free” might soon carry a much heavier tax tag,” he wrote.

The new Income Tax Rules, which will take effect from 1 April, have to be read with the Income Tax Act, 2025. These changes will apply to both old and new tax regimes, as they are linked to the valuation of prerequisites related to salaried income and does not take into account which tax regime you choose.

More income tax outgo on this corporate benefit

The monthly valuation of company car perquisite (motor car) has been moved higher in the new Income Tax Rules, 2026, resulting in a higher tax outgo.

If your company has given you a car with an engine capacity of up to 1.6 litres, the taxable value of the prerequisite linked to the same has been moved higher from ₹1,800 to ₹5,000, marking a ₹3,200 increase. This is applicable when you take your company car for both official and personal use.

“If your employer provides a 1.8L engine SUV for mixed use, the taxable perquisite value is spiking from roughly ₹2,400 to ₹7,000 per month. Add a chauffeur, and you’re looking at another ₹3,000 monthly hit (up from ₹900),” CA Nitin Kaushik wrote.

“For a senior executive, this simple shift could add over ₹1.2 Lakh to your taxable income annually, effectively canceling out any minor slab benefits,” he added.

Added benefits to save taxes

The CA however clarified that there are added benefits that can help save taxes too.

“The tax-free limit for Interest-Free Loans from your employer is jumping 10x from a measly ₹20,000 to a much more realistic ₹2 Lakh. This is a huge win for employees taking small personal or emergency advances, as the “interest benefit” won’t be added to your salary unless you cross that new threshold,” Kaushik wrote.

Another tax benefit that salaried individuals will get is that of the meal vouchers, with the tax-free limit of coupons increasing.

“The tax-free limit for Meal Vouchers (like Pluxee/Sodexo) is quadrupling from ₹50 to ₹200 per meal. If you get two meals a day, that’s a potential tax-free benefit of over ₹1.05 Lakh per year,” he said.

Similarly, the annual cap for Gifts and Vouchers is moving from ₹5,000 to ₹15,000, finally acknowledging a decade of inflation, Kaushik noted.

“By raising the limits on meals and loans while jacking up the tax on luxury perks like cars and large houses, the government is forcing a choice: either stick to a lean, cash-heavy salary or pay the full market price for your corporate lifestyle,” the CA said.