§ 153
Chapter VIII — Deductions To Be Made In Computing Total Income

Deduction for interest on deposits

Income-tax Act, 2025

Business owners, including individuals and Hindu undivided families, can claim a deduction from their gross total income for interest earned on deposits with certain banking companies, co-operative societies, or the Post Office. The deduction is subject to certain conditions and limits.

  • For non-senior citizens and Hindu undivided families, the limit is up to ` 10,000 on savings account deposits.
  • For senior citizens, the limit is up to ` 50,000 on any type of deposit.
However, no deduction is allowed if the income is derived from deposits held by or on behalf of firms, associations, or bodies of individuals.

📜 Official text of the section +
153. (1) An assessee who is— ( a) an individual, not being a senior citizen; or ( b) an individual, being a senior citizen; or ( c) a Hindu undivided family, shall be allowed a deduction from the gross total income, subject to conditions specified in sub-section (2), where it includes income by way of interest on deposits with— ( i) a banking company to which the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949), applies (including any bank or banking institution referred to in section 51 of that Act); or ( ii) a co-operative society engaged in carrying on the business of banking (including a co-operative land mortgage bank or a co-operative land development bank); or ( iii) a Post Office as defined in section 2( d) of the Post Office Act, 2023 (43 of 2023). (2) The deduction under sub-section (1) shall be allowed for a tax year as follows:— ( a) in case of an assessee mentioned in sub-section (1)(a) or (c), the whole of the interest up to a maximum amount of ` 10000 on deposits in a savings account, excluding time deposits; ( b) in case of an assessee mentioned in sub-section (1)(b), the whole of the interest up to a maximum amount of ` 50000 on deposits in any account, including time deposits. (3) Where the income referred to in sub-section (2)(a) is derived from any deposit in a savings account held by, or on behalf of, a firm, an association of persons or a body of individuals, no deduction shall be allowed under this section in respect of such income in computing the total income of any partner of the firm or any member of such association or any individual of such body of individuals. (4) Where the income referred to in sub-section (2)(b) is derived from any deposit held by, or on behalf of, a firm, an association of persons or a body of individuals, no deduction shall be allowed under this section in respect of such income in computing the total income of any partner of the firm or any member of such association or any individual of such body of individuals. (5) For the purposes of this section, the expression “time deposits” means the deposits repayable on expiry of fixed periods. E.—Other deductions Deduction in case of a person with disability.

Plain-language summary — not the official text. Refer to the bare Act and confirm with a professional for your specific case.