Meal Voucher Exemption under New Tax Regime (FY 2026) – Clarification Required

Ask the Community Payroll
1

With reference to the updated Income Tax Rules, 2026 increasing the meal benefit exemption to ₹200 per meal, we wanted to understand the practical implementation across organizations.

  1. Are companies planning to revise the meal voucher/coupon limits in line with ₹200 per meal (₹1.05L annually)?

  2. Has there been any clarity on applicability under the new tax regime (Section 115BAC), given earlier restrictions?

  3. Are payroll systems (Greythr/others) updated to support this change?

  4. Are organizations planning full utilization or capping at a lower internal limit?

Would appreciate insights from anyone who has already implemented or received guidance from tax advisors