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Income tax

How income tax works for salaried people and pensioners, from slabs and regimes to TDS, Form 16 and filing your return.

• What is income tax?Who pays, how income is taxed and how the tax is collected
• Old vs new tax regime: which should you choose?Slabs, deductions and the break-even point, with worked numbers
• Income tax slabs for tax year 2026-27Slab rates for both regimes, with tax at every slab boundary
• Standard deduction for salaried employees and pensionersA flat ₹75,000 (new) or ₹50,000 (old) off salary and pension
• Tax rebate under section 87A (now section 156)Zero tax up to ₹12 lakh income, and marginal relief just above it
• Income-tax Act, 2025: what changed and what did notThe tax year, new section numbers and what stayed the same
• How to calculate income tax on your salarySeven steps from gross salary to final tax, with a full example
• TDS on salary: how your employer deducts taxHow employers estimate, deduct and report tax on your salary
• Form 16 and the new Form 130 explainedYour salary TDS certificate: what it shows and how to use it
• How to file your income tax return onlineEight steps on the e-filing portal, plus due dates and late fees
• Which ITR form should you file?Match your income to ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3 or ITR-4
• Advance tax: who pays, due dates and interestPay-as-you-earn tax in four instalments, and the interest if you miss
• Tax year vs assessment year: what the new term meansWhy AY 2026-27 and tax year 2026-27 are different years
• Section 80C: the ₹1.5 lakh deduction explainedWhat counts under 80C, the ₹1.5 lakh cap and when it helps
• Section 80D: tax deduction for health insuranceHealth insurance deduction limits for you and your parents
• NPS tax benefits explainedThe three NPS deductions and which ones work in the new regime
• HRA exemption: how much of your house rent allowance is tax-freeThe 3-part HRA formula, the new 8-city rule and a worked example
• Home loan tax benefitsInterest up to ₹2 lakh, principal under 80C, and new regime rules
• Capital gains tax: the basicsShort and long-term gains on shares, funds and property
• Form 26AS and AIS explainedYour tax passbook: what 26AS and AIS show and how to check them
• PAN card: what it is and how to get oneYour 10-character tax ID: format, applying and common uses
• How to link Aadhaar with PANSteps, the ₹1,000 late fee and what an inoperative PAN means
• Income tax on pensionHow pension, commutation and family pension are taxed
• Section 89 relief on salary and DA arrearsAvoid extra tax on DA, pay and pension arrears with Form 10E
• TDS vs TCS: what is the difference?Tax deducted vs tax collected at source, with common examples
• Income tax refund: how it worksClaiming, tracking and fixing a stuck income tax refund
• ITR due dates: when to file your income tax return31 July, 31 August or 31 October: which ITR deadline applies to you
• Belated and revised returns explainedFiling late, fixing mistakes and the new 31 March revision window
• How fixed deposit interest is taxedSlab-rate tax, 10% TDS above ₹50,000, Form 121 and 80TTB
• How rental income is taxedRent minus municipal tax, minus 30%, minus loan interest, at slab rates
• Are gifts taxable in India?Relatives tax-free; others taxable once they cross ₹50,000 a year
• Tax on gratuity, leave encashment and commuted pensionRetirement lump sums: fully exempt for govt staff, capped for others
• Presumptive taxation under 44AD and 44ADADeclare 6%, 8% or 50% as profit and skip detailed accounts
• Form 12BB, now Form 124: declaring rent and investments to your employerThe declaration for HRA, LTC, home loan and 80C, renamed Form 124
• Tax on 8th Pay Commission arrears and how to get reliefHow a lump sum of pay arrears is taxed and how Form 39 relief works
• Income tax for senior citizens and super senior citizensSlabs, deductions, TDS limits and filing rules for people over 60 and 80
• Tax-saving options in the new tax regimeEmployer NPS, standard deduction, rebate and exemptions that still work
• Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and income taxHow a Hindu Undivided Family gets its own PAN, slabs and deductions

GST

Goods and Services Tax explained for consumers and small businesses: rates, registration, returns, invoices and input tax credit.

• What is GST?India's tax on goods and services, explained in plain English
• GST rates in 2026: slabs and item listThe 5%, 18% and 40% slabs, with examples of what falls where
• CGST, SGST, UTGST and IGST explainedWhy your bill shows CGST and SGST, or IGST, and how each works
• GST registration: who needs it and how to applyTurnover limits, who must register and how to apply online
• GSTIN: the 15-character GST number explainedDecode any GST number and check whether it is genuine
• Input tax credit (ITC) under GSTHow businesses deduct GST paid on purchases, and when they cannot
• GST returns and due datesGSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-9 and other returns, with usual due dates
• GST composition scheme explainedFlat-rate GST for small businesses: limits, rates and catches
• GST invoice: format, mandatory fields and rulesWhat a valid GST tax invoice must show, with a sample
• E-way bill: when you need one and how it worksWhen goods in transit need an e-way bill and how long it lasts
• GST e-invoicing explainedWho must register invoices on the IRP, and how IRN works
• Reverse charge mechanism (RCM) under GSTWhen the buyer, not the seller, pays the GST
• HSN and SAC codes under GSTHow goods and services are coded, and which digits to show
• GST on everyday items after GST 2.0Old vs new GST rates on groceries, appliances, cars and services
• GST on rent: residential and commercial propertyWhen rent attracts 18% GST, when it is exempt, and who pays under RCM
• GST on gold and jewellery3% GST on gold and jewellery, making charges, old gold and digital gold
• GST on cars and bikes after GST 2.0Small cars and 350cc bikes at 18%, bigger ones at 40%, EVs at 5%, no cess
• GST on restaurant food and food delivery5% at most restaurants, 18% in costly hotels, and what food apps charge
• GST on online services and appsWhat GST you pay on streaming, cabs, food apps, tickets and gaming
• GST for freelancers and consultants₹20 lakh limit, 18% rate, foreign clients and LUT for freelancers
• GST on exports and the letter of undertaking (LUT)Zero-rated exports, filing an LUT, time limits and refunds explained
• GST on insurance premiumsIndividual life and health cover is GST-free; most other policies pay 18%
• GST on buying a flat or house5% or 1% on under-construction flats, nil on ready homes and resale
• GST late fees, interest and penaltiesLate fee per day, 18% interest, penalties and the changes proposed

Government pay

DA, the pay matrix, pay commissions, promotions and allowances for central government employees.

• How dearness allowance (DA) is calculatedThe CPI-IW formula behind every DA hike, with a worked example
• Fitment factor explainedWhat the pay revision multiplier does, and why pay rises far less
• 8th Pay Commission: latest status and timelineWhere the 8th CPC stands, what is decided and what is only expected
• The 7th CPC pay matrix explainedLevels, cells, 3% increments and how promotion fixes your pay
• MACP scheme explainedFinancial upgrades at 10, 20 and 30 years, and how pay is fixed
• LTC rules for central government employeesBlocks, travel class by level, leave encashment and claims under LTC rules
• Children Education Allowance (CEA) for central government employeesCEA of ₹2,812.50 a month per child, hostel up to ₹8,437.50: rules and claims
• Transport allowance rules for central government employeesTA rates by level and city, DA on TA, the ₹24,200 rule and when TA stops
• HRA rules for central government employeesHRA rates, minimums, who is not eligible, leave rules and the tax exemption
• Earned leave and other leave under the CCS (Leave) RulesEL, half pay leave, casual leave, maternity leave and encashment in one place
• Child care leave (CCL) for central government employees730 days of CCL: who qualifies, pay at 100% and 80%, spells and approvals
• Annual increment rules for central government employeesIncrement dates, the six-month rule, promotion option and notional increment
• Non-practising allowance (NPA) for government doctorsNPA at 20% of basic, the ₹2,37,500 cap, and what it counts for
• TA and DA on official tour: travel class and daily allowanceTravel class, hotel, taxi and food limits on official tour, with a sample claim
• Night duty allowance (NDA) for central government employeesWho gets NDA, the ₹43,600 ceiling, and how to calculate it
• Dress allowance for central government employeesWho gets dress allowance, rates after the 25% rise, and the pro-rata rule
• CGEGIS: the group insurance deduction on your pay slipGroup insurance deduction, cover, savings fund and payout explained

Pension and retirement

Old pension, NPS, UPS, commutation, family pension, gratuity and leave encashment.

• Pension commutation explainedSwap up to 40% of pension for a lump sum: formula and factor table
• Family pension for central government employeesNormal and enhanced rates, who gets it and how it is taxed
• Additional pension at age 80 and aboveExtra 20% to 100% of basic pension from age 80
• Leave encashment explainedHow unused earned leave turns into cash, and how it is taxed
• UPS vs NPS: how the two pension options compareAssured payout or market-linked corpus: a side-by-side comparison
• Old pension scheme vs NPSDefined-benefit pension against a market-linked corpus
• Gratuity rules for government and private employeesWho gets gratuity, how it is calculated and how much is tax-free
• CGHS explained: contribution, wards and pensioner cardsWhat CGHS costs at each pay level and what it covers
• Jeevan Pramaan: how to submit your life certificateDates, phone face-scan steps and what happens if you miss November
• Pension Payment Order (PPO) explainedWhat the PPO number means, what to check and how to get your e-PPO
• NPS withdrawal rules: lump sum, annuity and early exit80% lump sum for private sector, 60% for govt staff, and the tax catch
• NPS Vatsalya: NPS accounts for childrenA pension account for your child: contributions, withdrawals, options at 18
• Atal Pension Yojana (APY) explainedGuaranteed ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 pension: who can join and what it costs
• EPS pension and the higher pension optionThe ÷70 formula, the new ₹25,000 ceiling and the higher pension option
• Voluntary retirement: pension and benefits for central government employees20-year rule, notice, pension, gratuity and what NPS and UPS staff get

Salary and payroll

CTC, take-home pay, PF, professional tax and what each line of a salary slip means.

• CTC vs in-hand salaryWhy your monthly credit is smaller than your CTC divided by 12
• Salary slip components explainedWhat each earning and deduction on a payslip means
• EPF explainedHow PF contributions work, and what the new ₹25,000 ceiling changes
• Professional tax explainedThe state tax on salaries, with slabs for major states
• How the new labour codes change your salaryThe 50% wage rule, gratuity after one year and other pay changes
• Full and final settlement: what you get when you leave a jobWhat final settlement includes, the 2-day rule and gratuity timelines
• Notice period buyout: what it costs and how it is taxedHow notice pay is worked out, who pays it and the tax angle
• ESIC explained: who is covered and what you getWho is covered, what is deducted and the benefits you can claim
• Variable pay and bonus: rules and taxStatutory bonus rules, variable pay in your CTC and how bonuses are taxed
• Minimum wages and the national floor wageHow minimum wages are set, central rates and the floor wage status