Tax guide

Salary Tax Calculator Guide for AY 2026-27

Use salary, Form 16, deductions, TDS, old vs new regime comparison, and take-home salary checks to estimate tax before choosing an ITR filing path.

Published 2026-05-26

Collect Salary Inputs Before Calculating

Start with source documents instead of estimating from memory.

Keep Form 16, latest salary slips, employer tax statement, and annual CTC breakup together
Separate basic pay, HRA, special allowance, bonus, employer PF, employee PF, professional tax, and other taxable benefits
Download AIS/TIS and Form 26AS so salary TDS and other reported income can be compared
List bank interest, dividends, rent, capital gains, and other income that may change the final tax result

Use CTC and payroll components to understand monthly cash flow and annual taxable salary.

Use the salary calculator for CTC to monthly in-hand estimates
Check employee PF, professional tax, employer benefits, and variable pay assumptions
Compare monthly payroll TDS with the annual tax estimate so a shortfall is visible early
Keep one saved estimate for personal planning and one final estimate for ITR review

Run both regimes before choosing the filing path or requesting CA review.

Calculate tax under the default new regime using salary and other income
Calculate tax under the old regime only after entering eligible HRA, 80C, 80D, NPS, home loan, and other deduction proofs
Check rebate, surcharge, cess, and standard deduction impact for the income level
Save the comparison and note why one regime was selected

Use the calculator output as a pre-filing check, not as a substitute for return review.

Use ITR-1 only if the salary case fits ITR-1 eligibility
Use the form selector if there are capital gains, foreign assets, business income, multiple properties, or other complexity
Send salary, AIS, Form 26AS, deduction proofs, and calculator output for CA review when figures do not reconcile
Keep the final acknowledgement and e-verification proof after filing