Personal income tax exemption limit was raised from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh.

Health insurance premium deduction limit increased from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 and for senior citizens it was increased to Rs 30,000 from Rs 20,000.

Small and marginal taxpayers with income below Rs 5 lakh, tax rebate was hiked from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.

Tax rate for income between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh was reduced from 10 percent to 5 percent.

While Centre introduced a standard deduction of Rs 40,000 on salaried class and pensioners, it took away tax benefits available on medical reimbursements and transport allowance.

Those earning less than Rs. 5 lakh would end up paying zero tax.

The Centre introduced new slabs and reduced the tax rate for different slabs for an individual income of up to Rs 15 lakh per annum.

No new changes were made for individual taxpayers but made some changes in the rules for income tax to help ease the compliance for taxpayers.

The Centre did not have much to offer to the common man or middle class and the taxpayer continued to be charged on the same tax rates as before.