Taxes Decoded
Everything you need to know about Indian income tax, capital gains, and salary optimization for FY 2026-27 / AY 2027-28. Built on the Income-tax Act, 2025 and CBDT threshold tables for AY 2026-27.
Start here
The pages most salaried people need first.
- See your in-hand salary and tax from a CTC (old vs new regime)
- Work out the CTC you need for a monthly take-home
- What the new ₹25,000 PF limit does to your take-home
- Why October 2026 pay dipped more than November will (one-time PF catch-up)
- Zero tax up to ₹12 lakh: who qualifies
- Tax-saving checklist for salaried people
- Negotiate your offer letter before you sign
- Tax setup for a new job: Form 12BB, regime, HRA
- Changed jobs in the same year: Form 122, earlier Form 12B
- Leaving: leave encashment and gratuity, the amounts the tax department prints
- Foreign shares or a foreign bank account: Schedule FA, and the disclosure window to 31 December 2026
- Moved back, or only visiting: resident, not ordinarily resident, or non-resident
- Not a resident: tax treaty, the residence certificate, and TDS rates
- A dividend on your salary Form 16: other sources, and 10% if an Indian company paid it
- Buying a house from a resident: 1% TDS, Form 141, and the old Form 26QB
Tax Guides
Comprehensive guides for every taxpayer profile.
Leave encashment and gratuity
At retirement, the least of four for leave (cap ₹25,00,000) and the least of three for gratuity (cap ₹20,00,000).
Read Guide →Changed jobs: Form 122
Other salary, a house-property loss, and tax already deducted. Earlier Form 12B. Optional.
Read Guide →Dividend on your Form 16
A dividend is income from other sources. Indian-company TDS is 10%, and that row's threshold is Nil.
Read Guide →Buying property: Form 26QB and Form 141
1% TDS from a resident seller, the ₹50 lakh lines, and Schedule E from 1 October 2026.
Read Guide →Tax treaty and NRI TDS
When a treaty cuts the rate, the residence certificate, and the tax year 2026-27 deduction rates.
Read Guide →Returning to India
Resident, not ordinarily resident, or non-resident. Day counts and the ₹15 lakh visit rule.
Read Guide →Schedule FA — Foreign Assets
Foreign shares, bank accounts, the ₹10 lakh penalty, and the disclosure window to 31 December 2026.
Read Guide →Salaried Employee Guide
CTC to take-home, regime comparison, HRA, 80C, 80D, NPS, worked examples.
Read Guide →Freelancer & Consultant Guide
Section 44ADA, presumptive taxation, advance tax, GST vs income tax.
Read Guide →Investor & Capital Gains Guide
Equity, real estate, crypto, buybacks, set-off rules, loss harvesting.
Read Guide →Startup Founder & ESOP Guide
ESOP taxation, deferral, 80-IAC tax holiday, unlisted shares, 54GB.
Read Guide →Section 87A Rebate — Zero Tax up to ₹12L
Who qualifies, salary vs business income, regime comparison, worked examples.
Read Guide →House Property & Home Loan
Section 24(b), 80C principal, 80EE, 80EEA, joint ownership, pre-construction interest.
Read Guide →TDS & Withholding Tax
TDS on salary, interest, rent, professional fees, crypto, PAN-Aadhaar penalty.
Read Guide →ITR Filing & Compliance
Which ITR form, deadlines, penalties, advance tax, revised and updated returns.
Read Guide →CTC Anatomy
All 30 CTC components explained — taxable vs exempt, perquisites, ₹7.5L cap.
Read Guide →Corporate NPS — Section 80CCD(2)
Employer NPS 14% New / 10% Old private, ₹7.5L cap, CTC restructure, HR email draft.
Read Guide →Pan-Aadhaar Link Guide
Mandatory linking deadline, consequences of non-linking, how to check status, exceptions.
Read Guide →Section 80D Health Insurance
₹25,000 or ₹50,000 a cap. Check-up of ₹5,000 sits inside the cap. Old regime only.
Read Guide →New PF Limit ₹25,000
PF ceiling ₹15,000 → ₹25,000 from 17 Sep 2026: ₹3,000/month PF, take-home before vs after.
Read Guide →HRA Exemption
50%/40% city rule, rent proof, worked examples.
Read Guide →Home Loan Interest — Section 24(b)
₹2L self-occupied cap, let-out, pre-construction interest.
Read Guide →Section 44ADA
50% deemed profit for professionals.
Read Guide →Section 44AD
8%/6% deemed profit for small business.
Read Guide →ESOP Tax Deferral
Startup ESOP deferral window and TDS timing.
Read Guide →Crypto / VDA Tax
30% flat tax, 1% TDS, no loss set-off.
Read Guide →Section 54EC Bonds
Save LTCG on property with 54EC bonds.
Read Guide →Tax Calendar 2026-27
Advance tax, ITR and TDS due dates.
Read Guide →Tax Calculators
Interactive tools to estimate your tax liability.
Income Tax Calculator
Full CTC breakdown with Old vs New regime comparison.
Open Calculator →Reverse CTC Calculator
Work backwards from monthly take-home to the CTC you need.
Open Calculator →New vs Old Regime Comparator
Side-by-side comparison with visual chart.
Open Calculator →Freelancer Tax Calculator
44ADA eligibility and both-regime tax computation.
Open Calculator →Capital Gains Calculator
STCG/LTCG with holding period check and set-off suggestions.
Open Calculator →ESOP Tax Calculator
Perquisite, deferral window, and CG computation.
Open Calculator →Home Loan Tax Calculator
Section 24(b), 80C principal, and tax saved.
Open Calculator →Gratuity Calculator
15/26 vs 15/30 payout, Section 10(10) split, ₹20L cap.
Open Calculator →Advance Tax Calculator
15/45/75/100 schedule, 234B/234C interest, Challan 280.
Open Calculator →Notice Buyout Calculator
26/30 divisor, leave offset, joining-bonus TDS.
Open Calculator →Employer NPS Calculator
Fixed-CTC employer NPS: tax saved vs cash take-home.
Open Calculator →From the Blog
Actionable guides to save more tax.
Clubbing of income
When a spouse, a gift, or a minor child is taxed as your income. Section 99.
Read Post →Negotiate Your Offer Letter Tax-Smart
5 email templates to save ₹40,000+ in tax before you join.
Read Post →Tax-Saving Checklist for Salaried Indians
The 20-point checklist to pay zero tax on ₹12L.
Read Post →Freelancer Tax Mistakes Costing You Lakhs
11 mistakes every freelancer makes in Year 1.
Read Post →Tax setup for a new job
Form 12BB, regime choice, PAN-Aadhaar, HRA, and employer NPS.
Read Post →Startup Founder Equity Strategy
ESOP, sweat equity, 54GB.
Read Post →Investor Tax-Loss Harvesting
Set-off, carry-forward, FY-end timing.
Read Post →Home Buyer Tax Playbook
24(b), 80C, 80EE, 80EEA plan.
Read Post →PAN-Aadhaar Link Crisis
Inoperative PAN, 234H fee, higher TDS.
Read Post →