Old vs new on the same CTC
One number, two columns. That is intentional. Most salary pages bury the regime choice under city, metro, 80C, and an email gate. Here the sketch is boring on purpose: about 45% basic, PF at 12% of that basic, professional tax capped in a Maharashtra-ish way, and HRA exemption only when you look at the old regime. You can finally see the regime delta without performing data entry theatre.
Which financial year
The dropdown runs FY 2023–24 through FY 2026–27. Default is the current year. If you are reconciling an old Form 16, switch the year before you trust the gap. Confirm live slabs on the Income Tax Department site if a Budget notification lands after this page’s year list.
FY 2026–27 in plain language
The new regime still starts with a ₹4 lakh nil band, then steps 5/10/15/20/25/30 through ₹24 lakh. Standard deduction for salaried people under the new regime is ₹75,000; old regime keeps ₹50,000 plus the classic deduction stack. Section 87A under the new regime can erase tax when taxable income sits at or under ₹12 lakh (rebate capped at ₹60,000). People quote “₹12.75 lakh tax-free for salaried” — that slogan folds standard deduction into the story and is directionally useful, not a statute title. Confirm the live slabs on the Income Tax Department site before you treat a Slack screenshot as law. Budget documents move; this page’s FY label is in the kicker.
Worked example: ₹12 lakh CTC
Enter 1200000. On the new-regime side, after the model deductions, taxable income often sits near the 87A window, so tax can collapse. On the old-regime side without stuffed 80C, you usually still owe something. That monthly gap is why teammates argue in Slack. If your actual basic is 30% of CTC, not 45%, rerun after you read the offer annexure. The sketch is a shared yardstick, not your payroll file.
Worked example: ₹24 lakh CTC
Higher bands start to dominate. Old regime plus maxed deductions and real HRA can still win for some renters in metro cities. If the annual gap is smaller than your bonus variance, stop micro-optimizing and file on time. Variable pay that “might” be 100% of target should be modeled at 60% once, then at 100%. The regime that wins on a heroic year can lose on a normal one.
Worked example: why Form 16 will disagree
Form 16 is an annual employer story: perquisites, arrears, professional tax actually deducted, and the regime you declared. This calculator never sees those. A ₹4,000 monthly gap versus Form 16 is often employer NPS or a joining bonus sitting in CTC. A ₹40,000 gap means you typed headline CTC and payroll used a different taxable salary. Ask HR which line is “salary for tax,” not which line looks biggest on the offer PDF.
What this will not catch
Surcharge, ESOP perquisites, employer NPS, gratuity, leave encashment, and creative CTC definitions. State professional tax is not a single India number; the Maharashtra-ish cap is a convenience. Treat output as a conversation with payroll, not a notice of demand. If you already know taxable income, use the income tax calculator instead of forcing CTC through this sketch.
Questions
Which new-regime slabs apply?
Pick the financial year. FY 2026–27 and FY 2025–26: nil to ₹4 lakh, then 5/10/15/20/25/30 through ₹24 lakh. Earlier years use the slabs that applied then. Confirm on the Income Tax Department site if a Budget lands.
How does Section 87A work here?
It follows the year you picked. Under current new-regime rules, resident individuals with taxable income up to ₹12 lakh may get a rebate up to ₹60,000. FY 2023–24 and 2024–25 use the older ₹7 lakh / ₹25,000 window.
Will this match Form 16?
No. It uses a simplified PF/HRA sketch so regimes are comparable. Employer structures differ.
Is the new regime the default?
Yes. Opt into the old regime only when your deductions make it worthwhile.
Are senior-citizen slabs different in the new regime?
New-regime slabs are uniform for individuals. Higher age-based exemptions are an old-regime feature.
Is CTC uploaded?
No. Math stays in this tab. Watch the compute log.
Does Remember send my CTC to you?
No. Remember stores the last CTC and FY in this browser only. Forget wipes it. A worksheet is a file you download.
Does old regime still allow HRA exemption?
Yes, subject to the usual three-way minimum. This model applies a metro sketch only on the old-regime column.