At this salary
- Taxable income is ₹13,90,538; your top slab rate is 15% and tax is 5.8% of CTC under the new regime.
- If your employer caps PF at the ₹25,000 ceiling, your PF falls from ₹8,000 to ₹3,000 a month and in-hand rises to ₹1,15,672.
- The old regime only beats the new one if you claim more than ₹4,40,000 of extra deductions (HRA, s.123 beyond your PF, s.126, home loan interest).
A typical metro renter: old vs new regime
Suppose you pay rent of ₹33,333 a month in one of the eight HRA cities, fill section 123 to ₹1.5 lakh and pay ₹25,000 for health insurance. Old-regime tax would be ₹1,00,470 against ₹92,120 in the new regime, so the new regime still saves ₹8,350.
| Old-regime deduction | Amount |
|---|---|
| HRA exemption | ₹3,19,996 |
| Standard deduction | ₹50,000 |
| s.123 (old 80C), incl. your PF | ₹1,50,000 |
| s.126 health insurance | ₹25,000 |
Employer NPS: the one big deduction left in the new regime
If your employer restructures 14% of basic (₹9,333 a month) into NPS, it is deductible under section 124(1) and your new-regime tax falls by ₹17,470 a year. The money goes to your NPS account instead of your salary, so in-hand drops but total wealth rises.
What the next ₹1 lakh of CTC is worth
Moving from ₹16 lakh to ₹17 lakh adds ₹71,306 a year to your in-hand (₹5,942 a month). Of the extra ₹1 lakh, ₹14,290 goes to income tax and the rest to PF, gratuity and employer PF.
Monthly payslip: new vs old regime
Typical month from September 2026, no professional tax, no extra old-regime deductions.
| Item | New regime | Old regime |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | ₹66,667 | ₹66,667 |
| HRA | ₹26,667 | ₹26,667 |
| Special allowance | ₹28,795 | ₹28,795 |
| Gross salary | ₹1,22,128 | ₹1,22,128 |
| Your PF | −₹8,000 | −₹8,000 |
| Income tax (TDS) | −₹7,677 | −₹18,058 |
| In-hand (before professional tax) | ₹1,06,452 | ₹96,070 |
Yearly tax on ₹16 LPA
| Step | New regime | Old regime |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | ₹14,65,538 | ₹14,65,538 |
| Deductions | −₹75,000 | −₹1,46,000 |
| Taxable income | ₹13,90,538 | ₹13,19,538 |
| Tax on slabs | ₹88,581 | ₹2,08,362 |
| Rebate (s.156) | −₹0 | −₹0 |
| Cess (4%) | ₹3,543 | ₹8,334 |
| Total tax | ₹92,120 | ₹2,16,700 |
Old regime deductions counted: Standard deduction ₹50,000; s.123 (old 80C), incl. your PF ₹96,000. To match the new regime, you would need ₹4,40,000 more in deductions.
Professional tax on ₹16 LPA, by state
| State | Per month | Per year | In-hand (new regime) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telangana | ₹200 | ₹2,400 | ₹1,06,252 |
| West Bengal | ₹200 | ₹2,400 | ₹1,06,252 |
| Gujarat | ₹200 | ₹2,400 | ₹1,06,252 |
| Maharashtra | ₹200 | ₹2,500 | ₹1,06,252 |
| Karnataka | ₹200 | ₹2,500 | ₹1,06,252 |
| Madhya Pradesh | ₹208 | ₹2,500 | ₹1,06,244 |
PF on ₹16 LPA
| PF calculated on | Your PF a month | In-hand (new regime) |
|---|---|---|
| Full PF wage (₹66,667) | ₹8,000 | ₹1,06,452 |
| Statutory ceiling (₹25,000) | ₹3,000 | ₹1,15,672 |
Worked example
Fixed monthly CTC ₹1,33,333: basic ₹66,667 (50%), HRA ₹26,667, employer PF ₹8,000, gratuity ₹3,205, leaving a special allowance of ₹28,795. Gross salary ₹1,22,128 a month, or ₹14,65,538 a year. After the ₹75,000 standard deduction, taxable income is ₹13,90,538 and tax is ₹92,120. Monthly in-hand: ₹1,22,128 − ₹8,000 PF − ₹7,677 TDS = ₹1,06,452.
Neighbouring salaries
| CTC | In-hand a month (new regime) |
|---|---|
| ₹13 LPA | ₹92,729 |
| ₹14 LPA | ₹99,226 |
| ₹15 LPA | ₹1,00,509 |
| ₹16 LPA | ₹1,06,452 |
| ₹18 LPA | ₹1,18,336 |
| ₹20 LPA | ₹1,29,540 |
| ₹22 LPA | ₹1,40,631 |
Assumptions
- Basic 50% of fixed CTC, HRA 40% of basic, employer PF and gratuity inside CTC, PF on the full basic, no variable pay.
- PF and gratuity wages follow the Labour Code 50% rule (it does not change anything at a 50% basic).
- Use the calculator above to match your offer letter.