Calculating net take home salary after tax in India (7Mins)

Calculating net take home salary after tax in India can be a complex process as it involves different components such as basic salary, allowances, deductions, exemptions, and tax rates. In this blog, we will discuss how net take home salary is calculated in India and the factors that influence it.

Firstly, let us understand the various components that make up a salary in India:

Basic salary: This is the fixed amount paid to an employee as per their employment contract. It does not include any additional allowances or bonuses.

Allowances: These are payments made to employees in addition to their basic salary. Allowances can be of different types such as house rent allowance, travel allowance, medical allowance, and so on.

Deductions: These are amounts deducted from an employee's salary before the calculation of tax. Deductions can be of different types such as provident fund, national pension scheme, health insurance, and so on.

Exemptions: These are income or expenses that are exempted from tax. For example, if an employee has invested in a tax-saving scheme, the amount invested will be exempted from tax.

Now, let us understand how the net take home salary is calculated in India.

Step 1: Calculate gross salary

Gross salary is the total amount an employee earns before any deductions or taxes are applied. Gross salary is calculated by adding the basic salary and all allowances. For example, if an employee's basic salary is Rs. 50,000 and they receive an allowance of Rs. 10,000, their gross salary will be Rs. 60,000.

Step 2: Calculate taxable income

Taxable income is the income that is subject to tax. To calculate taxable income, deduct all deductions and exemptions from the gross salary. For example, if an employee's gross salary is Rs. 60,000 and they have a deduction of Rs. 5,000 and an exemption of Rs. 10,000, their taxable income will be Rs. 45,000.

Step 3: Calculate income tax

Once the taxable income is calculated, the income tax is calculated based on the income tax slab applicable to the employee. India has a progressive tax system, which means that the tax rate increases with the increase in income. The income tax rates for the financial year 2022-23 are as follows:

Income tax slabs for individuals below 60 years of age:

Up to Rs. 3 lakh: Nil

Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh: 5%

Rs. 6 lakh to Rs.9 lakh: 10%

Rs. 9 lakh to Rs. 12 lakh: 15%

Rs. 12 lakh to Rs. 15 lakh: 20%

Above Rs. 15 lakh: 30%

For example, if an employee's taxable income is Rs. 45,000, they fall under the first tax slab of up to Rs. 2.5 lakh and hence, they will not have to pay any income tax.

Step 4: Calculate cess and surcharge

Cess and surcharge are additional taxes that are applied to the income tax amount. Cess is charged at the rate of 4% on the income tax amount and surcharge is charged at different rates based on the income level. For example, if an employee has an income of more than Rs. 50 lakh, they will be charged a surcharge of 10% on the income tax amount.

Step 5: Calculate net take home salary

Once the income tax, cess, and surcharge are deducted then we arrive at the taxable income. Post that the investments and exemptions are also taken into consideration. For example if someone is staying at a rented accommodation then he or she can claim that exemption and the same would be removed from taxable income. Along with that, there are other provisions like interests paid on Home Loans, Principal paid on Homa Loans, any kind of education loan, premiums paid for health insurance. All these are included to calculate the final taxable income.

Once the final taxable income is calculated then the tax is calculated basis the tax slabs applicable to the income and the same is deducted from the taxable income to arrive at the net take home salary.

Hope this article has helped you understand how it works. By the way you can always get a pretty good estimate of your take home salary by using our Salary Calculator, the same can be accessed by clicking here.