Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s middle-class tax relief sparks a wave of humour and joy online.
February 1, 2025: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has delivered a game-changing Budget 2025, introducing significant tax reforms aimed at easing the financial burden on India’s middle class. Among the key announcements, incomes up to ₹12 lakh will now be exempt from taxation, with salaried taxpayers receiving an additional benefit through a ₹75,000 standard deduction. This effectively means no tax for incomes up to ₹12.75 lakh under the new regime.
The revised income tax slabs are:
- ₹0-4 lakh: 0% tax
- ₹4-8 lakh: 5% tax
- ₹8-12 lakh: 10% tax
- ₹12-16 lakh: 15% tax
- ₹16-20 lakh: 20% tax
- ₹20-24 lakh: 25% tax
- Above ₹24 lakh: 30% tax
These reforms aim to simplify taxation and provide substantial savings for the middle class, driving increased consumption and investment.
Alo Read: Budget 2025: What’s Cheaper, What’s Costlier? A Detailed Breakdown of Price Changes
The Meme Frenzy
The announcement quickly became the talk of social media. Memes flooded platforms like Twitter and Instagram, capturing the collective joy and relief of taxpayers. Popular cricket icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma featured in many of the viral memes, with their dance moves and reactions humorously depicting the middle class’s celebration.
Some of the most shared memes included:
- Kohli and Sharma’s iconic dance moves representing taxpayers celebrating their new savings.
- Comparisons between the old and new tax regimes, highlighting the massive relief.
- Creative takes on how families plan to spend their extra savings.
Middle class rn :pic.twitter.com/NjKcnpfuvZ
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) February 1, 2025
No income tax upto 12 lacs
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) February 1, 2025
Working Class right now: pic.twitter.com/vWT8u3dvji
NO INCOME TAX UPTO RS 12 LAKH! pic.twitter.com/FunZJjyGvB
— Arjun* (@mxtaverse) February 1, 2025
No tax on income upto 12 Lacs
— Sherlock Ohms (@Wanmohnev) February 1, 2025
Middle class rn#BudgetSession2025 pic.twitter.com/tEcWbv84KJ
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) February 1, 2025
Middle class Indians before Nirmala Sitharaman budget speech..#BudgetSession2025 pic.twitter.com/YpUn6fMFPD
— Wealthwisdom_with_kk (@MemeOverlord_kk) January 31, 2025
Middle class after every Budget :#BudgetBytes #Budget pic.twitter.com/494PyhjhDj
— Yum (@upsehooon) February 1, 2022
Key Reactions:
Social media users expressed their enthusiasm:
- “Finally, a budget that makes sense for the aam aadmi (common man)!”
- “Thanks to this Budget, I can finally plan my dream vacation without worrying about taxes.”
Tags:
Union Budget 2025, Tax Reforms, Income Tax Slabs, Middle Class, Memes, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Nirmala Sitharaman, Social Media Reactions.