The reaction of various substituted benzyl alcohols with an equimolar amount of tetraalkylammonium dichlorobromate(1-) (1) in water-hexane in the presence of sodium hydroxide gave the corresponding benzaldehydes and with 2 equiv. of 1 in water in the presence of sodium hydroxide (subsequent acid hydrolysis) gave the corresponding benzoic acids, respectively, in good yields. Meanwhile, the reaction of methoxy-substituted benzyl alcohols in the presence of disodium phosphate gave nuclear bromo-substituted benzyl alcohols.