Delhi High Court orders pause on processing judges' tax returns

India Aug 17, 2026

The Delhi High Court has told the Income Tax Department to hit pause on processing tax returns filed by Supreme Court and High Court judges under the new tax regime.

This move comes after a petition argued that key perks for judges, like rent-free housing and travel allowances, shouldn't suddenly be taxed just because of updated rules.

Judges' perks taxability debated

Judges get certain benefits thanks to laws from 1954 and 1958, and there's debate over whether these should count as taxable income under the new system (which offers fewer exemptions).

For now, judges can file or update their returns, but nothing will be processed until the court figures out if these perks are protected from tax changes.