In-Hand Salary Calculator India: Every Field and Result (2026-27)
October 18, 2026 · 9 min read · by Shivam Kushwaha, HeyArtha founder
In-Hand Salary Calculator
Turn annual CTC into monthly take-home under the Old and New tax regimes side by side, with employee PF, professional tax, HRA, and breakeven deductions.
You have an offer letter with a CTC on it, and you want to know what lands in your bank account each month. By the end of this guide you will be able to type your CTC into the In-Hand Salary Calculator, read the New and Old regime cards side by side, and know which line to check against your payslip. Treat everything here as general information and check your own case with a practising CA.
What does an in-hand salary calculator India employees can use actually do?
An in-hand salary calculator India employees can use turns annual cost-to-company (CTC) into a monthly take-home estimate. It removes employer PF and other employer-side items to get gross salary, then employee PF, professional tax and income tax, and divides the year by 12. This one shows the New and Old regimes side by side.
The rules behind it are written out on the in-hand salary methodology page and the sources page. The primary source for the tax rules is the Act itself, for example Section 19 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 (standard deduction). Your inputs are calculated in your browser.
What do I type in the two main boxes?
Two inputs are enough to get a first answer.
- Annual CTC (Rs). The yearly figure on your offer letter. Four buttons set it quickly: Rs 6 lakh, Rs 12 lakh, Rs 18 lakh and Rs 25 lakh. The page opens at Rs 12 lakh.
- Basic salary as % of CTC. A slider from 30% to 60%, starting at 50%. Basic matters because PF, HRA and employer NPS limits are all worked on it. Your offer letter or payslip shows the basic. If you only have monthly basic, multiply it by 12, divide by your CTC and set the slider to the nearest percent.
If something is out of range, the page marks the box and says why instead of showing a result.
What do the fields under More options mean?
Everything under More options is optional, and it is where the closer figure comes from. The fields are in two groups, in the order the page shows them.
Your CTC and salary structure
| Field | What to type | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| My CTC includes employer PF | Tick it if the employer's PF share is part of the CTC (ticked by default) | Offer letter CTC breakup |
| PF is worked on | "Full basic" or "Capped at Rs 25,000 a month" (the EPFO wage ceiling from 17 September 2026, which was Rs 15,000 a month until 16 September 2026; the tool uses Rs 25,000 for the whole tax year) | Payslip: check what the PF line equals |
| Other employer items in CTC (Rs a year) | Gratuity, insurance and similar items inside CTC that are never paid to you | Offer letter CTC breakup |
| Employer NPS (% of basic) | 0 to 14. It is part of CTC, not paid in cash | Offer letter or NPS statement |
| Professional tax (Rs a year) | Default is Rs 2,500. Enter 0 if your state has none | Payslip: monthly amount x 12 |
Old regime only. The page says these count only in the Old regime and that the New regime allows none of them.
| Field | What to type | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly rent (Rs) | Rent you pay each month | Rent agreement or receipts |
| HRA received (Rs a year) | HRA component for the year | Payslip: monthly HRA x 12 |
| City tick box | Tick it for Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad or Bengaluru | Where you live and pay rent |
| Section 123 investments other than PF (Rs a year) | ELSS, PPF, life insurance premium and similar. Your employee PF already counts inside the Rs 1,50,000 limit | Investment proofs |
| Your own NPS (Rs a year) | Counted up to Rs 50,000 | NPS statement |
| Other deductions, total (Rs a year) | Health insurance, education-loan or home-loan interest and so on, as one total. The calculator uses it as typed and checks no limit | Your own records |
Type this: Rs 12 lakh CTC with the default settings
Leave everything as the page opens: CTC Rs 12,00,000, basic 50%, PF on full basic, professional tax Rs 2,500, nothing under the Old regime fields.
| Line | New regime | Old regime |
|---|---|---|
| Basic salary | Rs 6,00,000 | Rs 6,00,000 |
| Gross salary (CTC less employer PF of Rs 72,000) | Rs 11,28,000 | Rs 11,28,000 |
| Standard deduction | Rs 75,000 | Rs 50,000 |
| Professional tax | not allowed | Rs 2,500 |
| Section 123 (employee PF of Rs 72,000) | not allowed | Rs 72,000 |
| Taxable income | Rs 10,53,000 | Rs 10,03,500 |
| Income tax | Rs 0 | Rs 1,18,090 |
| Annual in-hand | Rs 10,53,500 | Rs 9,35,410 |
| Monthly in-hand | Rs 87,792 | Rs 77,951 |
The verdict box reads "New regime has the lower tax: Rs 1,18,090 a year, about Rs 9,841 more in hand each month."
Why is the New regime tax nil? Slab tax on Rs 10,53,000 is Rs 20,000 (5% on 4 to 8 lakh) plus Rs 25,300 (10% on the next Rs 2,53,000), which is Rs 45,300. The rebate under s.156(2) cancels all of it because income is below Rs 12 lakh. The page shows this as "Less rebate Rs 45,300". Annual in-hand is gross Rs 11,28,000 less employee PF Rs 72,000 less professional tax Rs 2,500, which is Rs 10,53,500. Professional tax comes out of your pay in both regimes; it reduces taxable income only in the Old regime.
Now switch "PF is worked on" to "Capped at Rs 25,000 a month". PF drops from Rs 72,000 to Rs 36,000 for the year (12% of Rs 3,00,000), and more of your CTC reaches you. The card then shows Rs 93,792 a month under the New regime and Rs 82,078 under the Old, with Rs 0 and Rs 1,40,560 of tax. If your payslip PF line is Rs 3,000 a month, this is your setting. The EPFO wage ceiling is Rs 25,000 a month from 17 September 2026; before that it was Rs 15,000 a month, which gave Rs 1,800 a month, and the tool uses Rs 25,000 for the whole tax year without blending months.
Type this: Rs 18 lakh CTC in a metro with rent and investments
Set CTC to Rs 18,00,000 and open More options. Type monthly rent Rs 30,000, HRA received Rs 3,60,000, tick the metro box, own NPS Rs 50,000 and other deductions Rs 25,000. Leave the rest as it is.
| Line | New regime | Old regime |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary (CTC less employer PF of Rs 1,08,000) | Rs 16,92,000 | Rs 16,92,000 |
| Standard deduction | Rs 75,000 | Rs 50,000 |
| HRA exemption | not allowed | Rs 2,70,000 |
| Section 123 (employee PF) | not allowed | Rs 1,08,000 |
| Own NPS | not allowed | Rs 50,000 |
| Other deductions | not allowed | Rs 25,000 |
| Taxable income | Rs 16,17,000 | Rs 11,86,500 |
| Income tax | Rs 1,28,340 | Rs 1,75,190 |
| Monthly in-hand | Rs 1,21,097 | Rs 1,17,193 |
The HRA exemption is the least of three numbers: HRA received (Rs 3,60,000), rent paid for the year less one-tenth of basic (Rs 3,60,000 less Rs 90,000, which is Rs 2,70,000), and 50% of basic in a metro (Rs 4,50,000). The smallest is Rs 2,70,000. Basic is the "salary" for this purpose and dearness allowance is taken as nil.
Even with all of that, New still comes out lower by Rs 46,850 a year. The page adds a line: "Old regime matches or beats New regime once other deductions total Rs 1,75,136 (Rs 1,50,136 more than the Rs 25,000 you entered)." That is a way of seeing how far the Old regime is from the New one on your numbers. It is not advice to chase that deduction.
How do I read the result?
Top to bottom:
- Verdict box. Says which regime has the lower tax and by how much, as a fact about your numbers. On a tie it says "Tie".
- Two regime cards. Each shows monthly in-hand, annual in-hand, income tax and taxable income. The lower-tax card carries a "Lower tax" tag. Open See the working for the deductions from gross salary and the tax lines (tax on slabs, rebate, surcharge if any, 4% cess).
- Break-even line. The other-deductions total at which Old matches or beats New.
- Relief notes. Appear only when marginal relief on surcharge applied.
- How we calculated. Twelve numbered steps, each with New and Old values and the section cited. Use it to find which step differs from your payslip.
- Download PDF. Add an optional report name, then download. The PDF carries the result, your inputs, both regimes side by side, the same twelve steps and the limits.
If you also sold shares this year and want one profile with capital gains, the Tax Twin guide picks up from here. If you have business income, see the Business Income Tax Calculator guide. Property sales have their own rules in Property Capital Gains: Indexation vs 12.5%.
What the calculator does not do
- It treats your CTC as gross salary after employer PF and the other items you enter. Bonus and variable pay timing, gratuity payout, ESOP and perquisites, arrears, other income and employer PF above 12% are not modelled. That includes the perquisite on employer contributions (PF, the s.124(1) scheme and superannuation together) above Rs 7,50,000 a year under s.17(1)(h)-(i): the calculator does not add it, so your tax can be higher than shown.
- PF is 12% of basic or of Rs 25,000 a month on the capped choice. The EPFO wage ceiling is Rs 25,000 a month from 17 September 2026 and was Rs 15,000 a month until 16 September 2026 (Ministry of Labour and Employment release, 16 September 2026). The tool uses Rs 25,000 for the whole of tax year 2026-27 and does not blend months. That is common practice, not an Income-tax Act rule. Dearness allowance is assumed nil.
- Professional tax is the amount you enter, because states differ. Other deductions are used as typed, with no limit checked.
- Monthly figures are the year divided by 12, an average estimate and not a payslip.
- It does not recommend a regime. It shows what each gives on the numbers you typed.
- Not reviewed by a Chartered Accountant. If a number looks wrong, use the "Report something wrong" button in the page footer.
Last reviewed: October 2026, for tax year 2026-27. For other tools, see the HeyArtha guides and the calculators hub.
Next in series: Tax Twin India: Old vs New Regime With Share Sales, Card by Card.
Quick answers
Things people usually want to know.
How is in-hand salary calculated from annual CTC?
The calculator takes your CTC, removes employer PF (if it sits inside the CTC) and other employer-side items, and treats the rest as gross salary. From that it takes out employee PF, professional tax and income tax, then divides the year by 12.
Why does the New regime show Rs 0 tax at a CTC of Rs 12 lakh?
Taxable income there is Rs 10,53,000. The New regime gives a rebate under s.156(2) when total income is Rs 12 lakh or less, and it cancels the slab tax of Rs 45,300. The Old regime has no rebate that large, so it shows Rs 1,18,090.
Why does the Old regime show more tax for the same CTC?
On the default inputs the Old regime has no HRA, no own NPS and no other deductions, so only the Rs 50,000 standard deduction, professional tax and employee PF reduce income. Add them under More options and the gap changes.
What does PF is worked on mean?
Full basic takes 12% of your whole basic salary. The Rs 25,000 a month option takes 12% of Rs 25,000 a month, which is Rs 3,000 a month or Rs 36,000 a year. Rs 25,000 is the EPFO wage ceiling from 17 September 2026; the tool uses it for the whole tax year. It is not a rule of the Income-tax Act. Check your offer letter.
Does the calculator use HRA in the New regime?
No. HRA, professional tax, Section 123 investments and your own NPS count only in the Old regime. The New regime allows a Rs 75,000 standard deduction and employer NPS up to 14% of basic, and none of the others.
What does the line about other deductions at which Old matches New mean?
It is the total of other deductions (health insurance, education-loan or home-loan interest and so on) at which the Old regime tax equals or drops below the New regime tax, with everything else as you entered it.
Will my payslip show the same monthly figure?
Not to the rupee. The calculator divides the year by 12 and shows an average. Your employer may deduct TDS month by month differently, and bonus, variable pay and arrears are not modelled.
Is this a substitute for payroll or a Chartered Accountant?
No. It is an estimate for understanding. Check the figures against your offer letter and payslip, and ask a practising CA about your own case, because bonus, variable pay and arrears are not modelled.
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