Income tax in India, explained
Which regime to pick, what your salary deductions are worth, how gains on funds and shares are taxed, and what changes when you live abroad. The guides follow the Income-tax Act, 2025, which applies from Tax Year 2026-27, and give the old section numbers too, since most forms and articles still use them.
Regime, filing and deadlines
New vs Old Tax Regime: Which Saves More (Tax Year 2026-27)
New and old regime slabs for tax year 2026-27 under the Income-tax Act, 2025, the ₹12 lakh rebate, which deductions survive, and how much you must deduct before the old …
10 min read · Read guide →
Year-End Tax Planning Checklist, Tax Year 2026-27: 12 Moves Before 31 March 2027
Twelve tax moves to finish before 31 March 2027, the end of tax year 2026-27, with the new section numbers under the Income-tax Act, 2025, the limits, the advance-tax da…
11 min read · Read guide →
Investment Proof Submission to Your Employer: Tax Year 2026-27 Guide
How to submit investment proof to your employer for tax year 2026-27: Form 124 replaces Form 12BB, the proof needed for HRA, LTA, home-loan interest, section 123, health…
8 min read · Read guide →
Advance Tax December 2026: Freelancer Deadline & Calculation
The third advance-tax instalment for tax year 2026-27 is due on 15 December 2026. How much freelancers and consultants owe, how presumptive (old 44ADA) filers can pay ev…
9 min read · Read guide →
Salary and deductions
HRA Exemption on Rent Paid to Parents: 2026-27 Rules and Paperwork
Living in your parents’ home? Paying them rent can make part of your HRA tax-free under the old regime. Here’s how it works in 2026-27, including the 4 new 50% cities, F…
7 min read · Read guide →
Dearness Allowance (DA) Meaning: What DA in Your Salary Changes
Dearness allowance is a cost-of-living payment set as a percentage of basic pay: 60% for central government staff from 1 January 2026. Here is how DA is calculated and h…
8 min read · Read guide →
ELSS vs PPF: Which Is Better for Tax Saving in 2026-27?
PPF pays a tax-free 7.1% with a 15-year lock-in; ELSS is equity with a 3-year lock-in. Both share the ₹1.5 lakh section 123 (old 80C) deduction, but only in the old regi…
6 min read · Read guide →
Index Funds vs ELSS for Tax Saving (2026): Costs, Lock-in and When Each Fits
A Nifty 50 index fund and an ELSS fund both invest in Indian shares, but only ELSS gives a tax deduction, and only in the old regime. We compare their costs, lock-in, ri…
9 min read · Read guide →
ELSS Lump Sum vs SIP: Which Works Better for Tax Saving in 2026-27?
Should you put ₹1.5 lakh into ELSS in one go or spread it out? How the 3-year lock-in works for each SIP instalment, who can still claim the deduction in tax year 2026-2…
9 min read · Read guide →
NPS Tier 2 Account: How It Works, Withdrawal Rules, Charges and Tax (2026)
NPS Tier 2 is a flexible add-on to your Tier 1 pension account: withdraw any time, no exit load, up to 100% equity and low fund charges. But there is no tax deduction fo…
8 min read · Read guide →
Investments and capital gains
Mutual Fund Tax in India 2026: Equity, Debt, Gold and International Funds Explained (Tax Year 2026-27)
How mutual fund gains and dividends are taxed in tax year 2026-27: equity funds, debt funds bought before and after April 2023, gold and international funds, FoFs, IDCW …
11 min read · Read guide →
Should You Sell an Underperforming Mutual Fund Just to Avoid Tax?
You hold a fund that has underperformed for 4 years. Selling triggers LTCG tax. So you hold on. Is this smart or expensive? Here's how to run the math and decide — witho…
8 min read · Read guide →
F&O and Intraday Trading Tax in India: Guide (Tax Year 2026-27)
How F&O and intraday profits and losses are taxed in tax year 2026-27 under the Income-tax Act, 2025: speculative vs non-speculative income, turnover, tax audit limits, …
11 min read · Read guide →
Physical Gold vs SGB vs Gold ETF (2026): Tax, Costs and What You Can Still Buy
No new Sovereign Gold Bonds have been issued since February 2024, and since April 2026 only original subscribers get tax-free maturity. How physical gold, SGBs, gold ETF…
8 min read · Read guide →
RSU Taxation in India: RSU & ESOP Tax Guide for Residents and NRIs (2026-27)
How RSUs and ESOPs are taxed in India for Tax Year 2026-27: tax at vesting, capital gains with a 24-month clock, Schedule FA, the foreign tax credit and NRI rules.
10 min read · Read guide →
NRIs and cross-border tax
NRI ITR Filing in 2026: Who Must File, Deadlines and DTAA Relief for US, UK, Singapore and UAE
Missed 31 July? NRIs can still file a belated FY 2025-26 return until 31 December 2026. Who must file, which ITR form, the real deadlines, how TDS refunds work, and DTAA…
10 min read · Read guide →
RNOR Status Explained: Rules, Calculator & Tax Benefits (2026)
RNOR status lets returning NRIs keep foreign income outside Indian tax for 2 to 3 years. The residency tests, what is taxed, and how your return date sets the window.
10 min read · Read guide →
DTAA India USA: How NRIs Avoid Double Tax (2026 Guide)
How the India-US tax treaty works: residency tie-breaker, treaty rates on interest and dividends, TRC and Form 10F, Form 67 vs Form 1116 credits, and why there's no soci…
11 min read · Read guide →
PFIC and Form 8621 for Indian Mutual Funds: The 2026 Guide for US Residents
If you live in the US and hold Indian mutual funds or ETFs, the IRS usually treats them as PFICs. This guide explains the PFIC tests, who must file Form 8621, the three …
12 min read · Read guide →
LRS Limit and TCS on Foreign Remittance 2026: Rates and Refunds
LRS lets residents send US$250,000 a year abroad. From April 2026, TCS is 20% above ₹10 lakh for investments and gifts, 2% for education and medical. Here's how to recla…
10 min read · Read guide →
How to Invest in US Stocks from India: 2026 Guide to LRS, TCS and Tax
The four ways to invest in US stocks from India in 2026: direct via LRS, Indian international funds, India-listed ETFs and GIFT City. Covers the ₹10 lakh TCS threshold, …
10 min read · Read guide →
TDS on Sale of Property by NRI: Tax, Form 13 & Repatriation (2026)
NRI selling property in India? TDS is on the full sale value, LTCG is 12.5% with no indexation, and repatriation is capped at $1M a year. The complete 2026 guide with a …
10 min read · Read guide →
401(k) and IRA After Moving Back to India: Tax, Treaty Rules and Your Options
Moving back to India with a 401(k) or IRA? How the US and India tax withdrawals, what the India-US treaty says about pensions vs lump sums, the 10% early-withdrawal tax,…
10 min read · Read guide →
Tax calculators
Income tax calculator
Your tax under both regimes for Tax Year 2026-27.
HRA calculator
How much of your house rent allowance is exempt.
CTC to in-hand salary
What reaches your account each month from your CTC.
ELSS vs PPF vs NPS
Compare the tax-saving options side by side.
NRI property sale calculator
Capital gains and TDS when an NRI sells property in India.
RNOR calculator
Whether you qualify as RNOR after moving back.
More guides
Retirement GuidesInsurance GuidesLoan Guides Mutual Fund Guides NRI Planning Hub Free financial health check All free calculators
Put it all into one plan
Add your income, savings, loans and cover, set your goals, and see whether you're on track.
Start free