India tax slabs FY 2025-26: what changes your net salary
Who this is for: salaried employees comparing take-home for ₹8,00,000, ₹15,00,000, and ₹25,00,000 annual salary levels.
Scenario table
| Salary | Typical decision | Big mistake |
|---|---|---|
| ₹8,00,000 | New regime often simpler unless deductions are meaningful. | Forcing ELSS only for tax without emergency buffer. |
| ₹15,00,000 | Run old vs new with EPF, HRA, 80C, 80D inputs. | Ignoring 80D and home-loan deduction interactions. |
| ₹25,00,000 | Optimize deductions and long-term tax-efficient investing. | High-income lifestyle creep reducing annual investable surplus. |
Best decision based on scenario: if deductions are below ₹2,00,000, new regime usually wins on simplicity; otherwise compute both with real declarations.