Maximise Your Tax Savings: Meal Card Benefits Explained for ITR

When you file your income tax return (ITR), you have to disclose your entire salary, along with your benefits, such as meal cards, like Sodexo, Pluxee, or other vouchers. No matter if these meal benefits are tax-free up to a limit, you still have to mention them on your ITR.

Meal card benefits are treated as part of your salary, known as “perquisites”. If you report them correctly, you’ll get only the tax-free portion you’re allowed, and any excess will be charged the appropriate tax. Apart from this, it will also help your ITR match your Form 16 and salary records, which will help you avoid mistakes or tax notices later.

New Meal Card Benefit

Earlier, only meals costing up to Rs 50 were exempt from tax. However, from April 1, 2026 onwards, this limit has been increased to Rs 200 per meal, and it applies under both the old and new tax systems.

If you get meal benefits for 2 meals a day, 22 working days a month, it can add up to about Rs 105,600 per year.

You must first mention your meal card benefits as part of your total income on your Income Tax Return (ITR). After that, you can separately claim the allowed tax exemption on them.