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Tax Guide • 10 min read

Complete Income Tax Calculator Guide FY 2025-26

Master income tax calculation with all income sources, deductions, and regime comparison. Learn how to minimize your tax liability legally and efficiently.

Professional Tax Advice Disclaimer

This calculator provides estimates based on standard tax rules. For complex tax situations, personalized advice, or filing assistance, please consult a qualified Chartered Accountant or tax professional.

1. Getting Started

Our Income Tax Calculator helps you estimate your tax liability for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27) with comprehensive support for all income types, deductions, and both tax regimes.

What You'll Need

Income Details

Form 16, salary slips, business income records

Investment Proofs

PPF, ELSS, insurance premium receipts

Deduction Documents

Medical insurance, education loan statements

Property Details

Rent receipts, home loan interest certificates

2. All Income Sources Explained

Salary Income

Your annual gross salary including basic pay, allowances, and bonuses.

Includes:

  • • Basic Salary + DA (Dearness Allowance)
  • • HRA (House Rent Allowance) - before exemption
  • • Special Allowances (transport, conveyance, etc.)
  • • Performance bonuses and incentives
  • • Leave encashment

House Rent Allowance (HRA)

HRA received from employer can be partially or fully exempt from tax.

Exemption Formula (Minimum of):

  • 1. Actual HRA received
  • 2. 50% of salary (metro) or 40% (non-metro)
  • 3. Rent paid minus 10% of salary

Note: You must be living in rented accommodation and paying rent

Business/Professional Income

Net profit from business, freelancing, or professional practice after deducting business expenses.

Capital Gains (STCG + LTCG)

Profit from sale of assets like stocks, mutual funds, property, etc.

Short-term (STCG): Assets held <12 months (equity) or <36 months (debt/property)

Long-term (LTCG): Assets held longer than above periods

Rental Income

Income from house property (rent received minus municipal taxes)

Interest Income

Interest from savings account, FD, bonds, etc.

Agricultural Income

Income from agricultural land (generally exempt but used for rate calculation)

Other Sources

Gifts, lottery, dividends, etc.

3. Understanding Deductions

Deductions reduce your taxable income, thereby lowering your tax liability. Here are the major deductions available under the old tax regime:

Section 80C - ₹1,50,000

The most popular deduction with maximum limit of ₹1.5 lakh per financial year.

Investment Options:

  • • PPF (Public Provident Fund)
  • • EPF (Employee Provident Fund)
  • • ELSS Mutual Funds
  • • NSC (National Savings Certificate)
  • • Tax-saving FD (5-year)
  • • Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

Payments:

  • • Life insurance premium
  • • Home loan principal repayment
  • • Tuition fees (children's education)
  • • Stamp duty & registration (property)

Section 80D - Medical Insurance

For Self, Spouse & Children:

₹25,000 (below 60 years) | ₹50,000 (senior citizen)

For Parents:

Additional ₹25,000 (below 60) | ₹50,000 (senior citizen)

Preventive Health Checkup:

₹5,000 (included in above limits)

Section 80E

Education Loan Interest

No upper limit. Interest paid on education loan for self, spouse, or children.

Section 80G

Donations to Charity

50% or 100% of donation amount (depends on organization)

Section 24

Home Loan Interest

Up to ₹2,00,000 for self-occupied property

NPS (80CCD(1B))

Additional NPS Deduction

Extra ₹50,000 over and above 80C limit

4. HRA Exemption Calculation

Step-by-Step Example

Given:

  • • Basic Salary: ₹50,000/month
  • • HRA Received: ₹20,000/month
  • • Rent Paid: ₹18,000/month
  • • City: Mumbai (Metro)

Calculation:

  • 1. Actual HRA received = ₹2,40,000/year
  • 2. 50% of salary (metro) = ₹3,00,000/year
  • 3. Rent - 10% of salary = ₹2,16,000 - ₹60,000 = ₹1,56,000

HRA Exemption = ₹1,56,000 (Minimum of above three)

Taxable HRA = ₹2,40,000 - ₹1,56,000 = ₹84,000

5. Family Details & Benefits

Age-Based Tax Benefits

Below 60 years

₹2.5L

Basic exemption limit

60-80 years

₹3L

Senior citizen

Above 80 years

₹5L

Super senior citizen

HUF (Hindu Undivided Family)

HUF is a separate tax entity. If you have HUF income, it's taxed separately with its own exemption limits.

Benefits: Additional tax exemption, separate deduction limits (80C, 80D, etc.), can invest in business, property ownership

6. Old vs New Tax Regime

Since FY 2020-21, taxpayers can choose between two tax regimes. Each has pros and cons.

Old Tax Regime

Tax Slabs:

₹0 - ₹2.5L: Nil

₹2.5L - ₹5L: 5%

₹5L - ₹10L: 20%

Above ₹10L: 30%

✓ Pros:

  • • All deductions available (80C, 80D, etc.)
  • • HRA exemption allowed
  • • Better for those with investments

✗ Cons:

  • • Higher tax rates
  • • Requires tax planning

New Tax Regime

Tax Slabs (FY 2025-26):

₹0 - ₹3L: Nil

₹3L - ₹7L: 5%

₹7L - ₹10L: 10%

₹10L - ₹12L: 15%

₹12L - ₹15L: 20%

Above ₹15L: 30%

✓ Pros:

  • • Lower tax rates
  • • Simpler (no deduction tracking)
  • • Standard deduction ₹50K allowed
  • • Better for low investors

✗ Cons:

  • • Most deductions not allowed
  • • No HRA exemption

Which Regime to Choose?

✓ Choose Old Regime if you have significant investments (80C), medical insurance (80D), home loan

✓ Choose New Regime if you don't invest much and want simplicity

✓ Use our calculator's "Compare Regimes" feature to see which saves you more tax!

7. Understanding Your Results

Key Metrics Explained

Gross Total Income

Sum of all your income sources before any deductions

Total Deductions

Sum of all Chapter VI-A deductions (80C, 80D, etc.)

Taxable Income

Gross Total Income minus Total Deductions

Tax Before Rebate

Tax calculated on taxable income as per slab rates

Surcharge

Additional tax for high earners (10% if income > ₹50L, 15% if > ₹1Cr)

Health & Education Cess

4% of (Tax + Surcharge)

Total Tax Liability

Final tax payable after adding surcharge and cess

Effective Tax Rate

Percentage of your total income that goes to tax (Total Tax ÷ Gross Income × 100)

Visual Charts

  • Income Sources Pie Chart: Shows breakdown of all income types
  • Regime Comparison Bar Chart: Side-by-side tax comparison
  • Tax Slabs Table: Detailed slab-wise tax calculation
  • Effective Rate Comparison: See which regime gives lower effective tax rate

8. Tax Saving Tips

✓ Smart Strategies

  • • Maximize 80C (₹1.5L) with ELSS, PPF, EPF
  • • Take medical insurance for 80D deduction
  • • Use NPS for extra ₹50K deduction (80CCD 1B)
  • • Claim HRA if living in rented house
  • • Keep home loan for interest deduction (Section 24)
  • • Plan donations strategically (80G)
  • • Compare both regimes before choosing
  • • Start tax planning early in the financial year

✗ Common Mistakes

  • • Last-minute investments (rushed decisions)
  • • Not comparing both tax regimes
  • • Forgetting to claim HRA exemption
  • • Not keeping investment proofs
  • • Ignoring small deductions (preventive checkup)
  • • Not declaring all income sources
  • • Choosing regime once and never reviewing
  • • Not consulting CA for complex situations

Pro Tip: Export Your Tax Report

Use the Export to CSV button to download your complete tax calculation. This helps during actual ITR filing and serves as a reference for financial planning.

Ready to Calculate Your Tax?

Use our comprehensive Income Tax Calculator to estimate your tax liability, compare regimes, and make informed tax planning decisions.

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