Section 80D → Section 126

Deduction for health insurance premium, preventive health check-up and medical expenditure for senior citizens

New reference Section 126

Income-tax Act, 1961Section 80D

Up to ₹25,000 for self, spouse and dependent children (₹50,000 if a senior citizen)
Further deduction for parents: ₹25,000, or ₹50,000 if a parent is a senior citizen
Preventive health check-up up to ₹5,000, within these limits
Old tax regime only

Applies to FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27) and earlier years.

Income-tax Act, 2025Section 126

Same deduction, now section 126
Limits carried over unchanged
Preventive check-up and senior-citizen medical expenditure retained
Not available under the default new regime (section 202)

Applies from tax year 2026-27 (from 1 April 2026).

What changed

Renumbered with simplified drafting. No change to the limits or to who can claim.

Practice notes

Payment mode condition continues: premium paid in cash does not qualify (preventive check-up excepted).
Use section 126 for tax year 2026-27 onwards; 80D still applies to FY 2025-26 returns.

These are summaries, not the statutory text. Read the bare Act for both sections on the Income Tax Department's official site, which also has a side-by-side comparison utility.

Related sections

80C→123Deduction for life insurance, PF, PPF, ELSS, tuition fees, home-loan principal and other specified savings 115BAC→202New tax regime (default) for individuals, HUFs, AOPs, BOIs and artificial juridical persons