What's your real take-home, and which regime wins?
Understand your take-home across tax regimes and find the optimal choice for your specific deduction profile.
Tools in this cluster
Salary Tax Calculator India
Compare old and new regime tax for FY 2025-26 / AY 2026-27. See annual tax, average monthly income after tax, and whether your eligible deductions change the result. Actual payslips also depend on payroll deductions and bonus timing.
Tax Regime Comparison Calculator
Compare old and new regime income tax for FY 2025-26 / AY 2026-27 using your ordinary salary income and eligible deductions.
CTC to In-Hand Salary Calculator
How much of that shiny CTC actually reaches your bank account each month? Break down the deductions, compare old vs new regime take-home, and see whether a higher basic or better 80C usage would help.
HRA Exemption Calculator
Is your HRA pulling its weight in your tax filing? See the exempt portion, which limb of the three-part rule is binding you, and whether restructuring rent or salary would raise your exemption.
Capital Gains Tax Calculator (AY 2026-27)
Compute capital gains tax under post-Budget-2024 rules for AY 2026-27. Listed equity (12.5% LTCG above ₹1.25L), real estate with the grandfathering choice (12.5% no-index vs 20% with-index) and Section 54 / 54EC reinvestment exemptions, debt MF April 2023 cliff, and other 24-month assets with Section 54F pro-rata.
Capital Gains Portfolio Calculator (Multi-Transaction, AY 2026-27)
Compute capital gains tax across ALL your transactions for the financial year — pools the ₹1.25L equity LTCG threshold correctly, applies Section 70/74 set-off (STCL → STCG → LTCG; LTCL → LTCG only), and surfaces carry-forward losses for next-year filing. Built for users with multiple equity sales, mixed asset classes, or LTCL/STCL netting needs.
Gratuity Calculator
When you leave your current role, how much gratuity lands in your account — and how much of it is taxed? See the payout, the ₹20L exemption math, and whether staying another few years changes the picture meaningfully.
Job Offer CTC Comparator
Compare two job offers side-by-side — break down every CTC component, see real in-hand salary under both tax regimes, factor in ESOPs with risk-adjusted valuation, and get a multi-dimensional verdict on which offer actually pays more.
Comparison pages
Guides in this cluster
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.
Section 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.
Surcharge and Marginal Relief: Checked Examples (AY 2026-27)
Understand surcharge thresholds, relief before cess and the limits of the 15% capital-gains surcharge cap. Includes corrected ₹50.10 lakh and ₹10 crore taxable-income examples.
Old 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.
Old 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.
Old 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.
Old 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.
Take-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.
Employer NPS under Section 80CCD(2): Limits and Take-home Trade-off
FY 2025-26 employer NPS limits, eligible salary, the separate retirement-contribution cap and a worked example showing tax saved versus cash pay lost.
HRA
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.
HRA 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.
Job 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: What to Check for AY 2026-27
Separate notice-pay recovery, employer reimbursement and joining bonus. Check the documented tribunal decision, payroll records and cash shortfall before changing jobs.
Leave Encashment Tax: Exemption and ₹25 Lakh Limit (AY 2026-27)
Check employer category, unused earned leave, eligible salary and earlier exemptions before estimating the taxable part of leave encashment for FY 2025-26.
Joining Bonus, Retention Bonus, and Clawback: Tax in India (AY 2026-27)
Work out the cash you keep from a joining bonus, compare gross and net clawback terms, and identify the tax questions to resolve before changing jobs. Includes a salary-tax calculator.
How to use this cluster
India's tax regime choice is one of the few decisions you make every year that directly changes your cash flow. These tools use AY 2026-27 slab assumptions and compare the old and new regimes under your specific deduction stack. Re-check the choice whenever salary, HRA, or home-loan interest moves meaningfully.
Frequently asked
FAQ
The follow-up questions people usually ask after the main recommendation is already clear.
When does the old regime still win?
When HRA, 80C, 80D, and home-loan interest deductions together push the old-regime taxable income well below the new-regime taxable income. Typically requires a high salary and real rent-paying in a metro.
Can I switch regimes every year?
Salaried taxpayers can switch each year. Business income has tighter rules. Verify before filing.
Does this account for surcharge?
No — surcharge and special-rate income are excluded for clarity. Verify with a CA when gross income exceeds ₹50L.