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Payslip Decoder
Your CTC isn't your salary. Type it in and see what lands in your bank account each month, under both tax regimes.
Beta. A chartered accountant is checking these numbers. Use them as a rough guide until then.
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How we got these numbers
The same rules payroll uses. Hold your first payslip next to this.
New regime Tax ₹0 a year
Old regime Tax ₹0 a year
What to do with this
- Tell HR your regime when you join and each April. Say nothing and TDS follows the new regime.
- Old regime? Keep proof. Rent receipts, your landlord's details, investment and insurance receipts. No proof, no saving.
- You can still switch when you file your return. Salaried people can change regime every year.
- Check your first payslip against this. If it's off by more than a few hundred rupees, ask HR which line differs.
Assumptions and limits
- Tax year 2026-27 (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027). You're a resident below 60, and salary is your only income.
- Basic includes DA. Under the labour codes, allowances above 50% of pay count as wages for PF and gratuity, so basic is usually at least 50%.
- Employer PF is 12% of the same wage as yours. PF admin and insurance (EDLI) charges are left out; if your CTC includes them, add them under other non-cash items.
- Gratuity is estimated at 4.81% of basic (15 days' basic for each year of service).
- Tax (TDS) is spread evenly over 12 months. Joining mid-year, bonuses and late proofs change the monthly figure; the yearly total is what counts.
- Variable pay is shown separately and taxed at your top rate, as if you get all of it.
- Old regime: 80C includes your PF and is capped at ₹1.5 lakh; 80D is capped at ₹25,000. Under the Income-tax Act, 2025 these are now sections 123 and 126; most people still use the old names.
- Not covered: income above ₹50 lakh (surcharge), employer NPS, LTA, home-loan interest, meal vouchers, and other income such as interest or freelancing.
- Figures are rounded to the nearest rupee, so rows can be ₹1 off their total.
Sources
- PIB, 1 Feb 2025: No income tax up to ₹12 lakh under the new tax regime (slabs, rebate, ₹75,000 standard deduction)
- Income Tax Department: Tax rates (old regime slabs, rebate, 4% cess, surcharge)
- Income Tax Department: FAQs on new vs old tax regime (what each allows, switching every year)
- PIB, Sep 2026: EPF wage ceiling raised from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a month
- BDO India, 2026: Income-tax Rules 2026 extend 50% HRA to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad
- PIB factsheet: Code on Wages, 2019 (allowances above 50% of pay count as wages)
An estimate to help you understand your pay, not tax advice. Your payslip, Form 16 and a chartered accountant are the final word. See our Terms.
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