Tax & Salary Guides
Guides on tax regime selection, salary optimization, and job offer evaluation.
Old vs New Regime
Decision math, AY 2026-27 slabs, and when each regime wins.
Old vs New Tax Regime 2026: A Complete Decision Guide
Which tax regime actually saves more money under AY 2026-27 slabs? We break down the math, the deductions that matter, and when each regime wins.
Read guideSection 87A Rebate in 2026: Why ₹12.75 Lakh Is Tax-Free, and the Marginal Relief Trap
Budget 2025 raised the new-regime Section 87A rebate to ₹12 lakh of taxable income — meaning ₹12.75 lakh of gross salary is tax-free. The marginal relief band that prevents a ₹1 spike in income from triggering tens of thousands in tax. Here's the math, the cliff, and the smoothing rule that fixes it.
Read guideSurcharge & Marginal Relief at ₹50 Lakh+ Income (AY 2026-27)
The income tax surcharge bands at ₹50L, ₹1cr, ₹2cr, and ₹5cr — how the surcharge rate jumps, why ₹1 above a band can cost lakhs, and how marginal relief caps the cliff. New-regime surcharge is capped at 25% even on the highest band.
Read guideOld vs New Regime — by income
Worked examples at the most-searched salary bands with break-even deductions.
Old vs New Tax Regime for ₹10 Lakh Salary (AY 2026-27)
On a ₹10 lakh salary in 2026, the new regime owes zero tax thanks to the ₹12 lakh Section 87A rebate. The old regime still owes ~₹70,200 with basic deductions. The choice is decided — here's the math.
Read guideOld vs New Tax Regime for ₹15 Lakh Salary (AY 2026-27)
On a ₹15 lakh salary, the new regime taxes ₹97,500 vs the old regime's ₹2.03 lakh — the new regime wins by ~₹1.05 lakh. Here's the math at every deduction level, the break-even point, and when staying old still makes sense.
Read guideOld vs New Tax Regime for ₹20 Lakh Salary (AY 2026-27)
On a ₹20 lakh salary, the new regime taxes ~₹1.92 lakh vs the old regime's ~₹3.59 lakh — the new regime wins by ~₹1.66 lakh. Even a stacked old-regime deduction profile (HRA + 80C + 80D + home loan) loses to the new regime at this income.
Read guideOld vs New Tax Regime for ₹25 Lakh Salary (AY 2026-27)
On a ₹25 lakh salary, the new regime taxes ~₹3.20 lakh vs the old regime's ~₹5.15 lakh — gap of ~₹1.95 lakh. Even the joint-home-loan, metro-HRA full-stack profile leaves the old regime ~₹50K short of the new regime.
Read guideTake-Home Salary
Salary structuring, the rebate band, and the deductions that still work.
Salary Structuring for Maximum Take-Home in 2026
Budget 2025 made the new regime even sharper for AY 2026-27. Here's how to choose the right regime and how to structure your CTC for maximum legal in-hand salary.
Read guideSection 80CCD(2): The Only Deduction Left in the New Tax Regime (2026)
Employer NPS contribution under Section 80CCD(2) is the only meaningful deduction that survives in the new tax regime. Budget 2024 raised the private-sector cap to 14% of basic. Here's the math, the catch, and how to ask payroll.
Read guideHRA
Formula, metro rule, paying rent to parents, and what disappears in the new regime.
HRA Exemption: Exact Formula, Metro Rule, and Rent Receipt Rules
The three-part HRA exemption formula, which cities count as metro, the PAN rule above ₹1 lakh rent, paying rent to parents, and why HRA vanishes entirely under the new tax regime.
Read guideHRA Paying Rent to Parents (2026): The Legitimate Way to Save Tax
You can claim HRA exemption while paying rent to your parents — if you set it up correctly. Ownership, bank-transfer rent, market rate, parent-side declaration, and the four traps that turn it into tax evasion. Old-regime only.
Read guideJob Offer & CTC
Decode an Indian CTC, value ESOPs, compare two offers on equal terms.
Home Loan + Tax
Section 24(b), 80C principal, 80EEA, and which regime wins after the math.
Capital Gains
Equity, real estate, debt MFs, gold, foreign shares — the post-Budget 2024 rewrite.
ESOP & RSU
Two-stage taxation, foreign-listed RSU rules, startup deferral, and the Schedule FA disclosure trap.
Filing & Reconciliation
AIS, TIS, 26AS, Form 16 — what each shows, how to reconcile, and how to avoid 143(1) intimations.
Compensation Edge Cases
Notice period buyout deductibility, leave encashment exemption, and bonus clawback — the contested areas of salary tax.
Notice Period Buyout Tax in India (AY 2026-27): Is the Recovery Deductible from Your Salary?
When your new employer pays your old employer to release you, or when you pay your old employer directly, the recovery is treated by Indian payrolls as taxable salary. The legal position is more nuanced — and several ITAT and high court rulings now favour the employee. Here's the real position for AY 2026-27.
Read guideLeave Encashment Tax in India (AY 2026-27): Section 10(10AA), the ₹25 Lakh Cap, and the Govt vs Non-Govt Split
Leave encashment received at retirement is partially exempt under Section 10(10AA). The exemption cap was raised to ₹25 lakh in Budget 2023 — many salaried Indians still believe the old ₹3 lakh cap. Here's the complete framework: government vs non-government, retirement vs in-service, the four-step exemption formula, and the ITR reporting that gets it wrong.
Read guideJoining Bonus, Retention Bonus, and Clawback: Tax in India (AY 2026-27)
Joining bonuses are taxed in full in the year of receipt — but what happens when you leave within the clawback period and the employer recovers the bonus? Indian tax law's answer is messier than most employees realise. Here's the framework, the year-of-recovery treatment, and the legal precedents that matter.
Read guide