More cash · Less tax · same CTC
beta

Your CTC says one number.
Your account sees another.

Same CTC, different structure — monthly in-hand can differ by ₹25–60k. Run your number first, then dig into why.

Your number
₹
Total cost to company, per year.
Variable pay / bonus?
Company optional
Helps us map employer benefit patterns. You can skip this.
Your exact salary never leaves your device — we only receive anonymous usage signals, your CTC band, and anything you choose to submit.
Why it differs
Same CTC · more cash
₹1.69L/mo
Minimum PF, no extra locks, meal + device benefits
Higher in-hand
Same CTC · lower tax
₹1.40L/mo
Full PF + 80C + NPS — money parked for years
Lower tax bill
Real example · ₹24L CTC
One structure puts ~₹28,000 more in your account every month. The other saves ~₹73k tax in a year.
Extra cash / mo
+₹28k
Tax saved / yr
~₹73k
Difference comes from PF %, HRA claim, 80C top-up, NPS and pre-tax benefits like meals & devices — not from a higher package.
Why in-hand can differ so much
🏦
PF & locked savings Minimum PF keeps cash liquid. Full 12% + 80C + NPS drops tax but parks money you can’t touch for years.
🏠
HRA & rent (old regime) If you pay rent, old regime can win big. If you don’t, new regime usually puts more money in your account.
📱
Pre-tax benefits Meal vouchers, device leasing and car lease programmes work in both regimes. They cut tax without locking money into PF.
⚖️
New vs old regime The tool auto-picks the better regime for each strategy. Most people above ₹12L sit near the tipping point.
Biggest lever most people miss
Your company’s salary structure decides more than tax regime
Whether meal vouchers, device lease, fuel, car lease, LTA and NPS are even available is controlled by your employer — not by you flipping a toggle. That menu often moves your in-hand more than old vs new regime.
Meal vouchers Device lease Car lease NPS LTA
See programs common in India →
Your two structures
Annual CTC
₹ 24,00,000
Structure
50% Basic 25% HRA Rent assumed
Same CTC · two ends of one dial. One maximises money in your account this month; the other minimises tax by parking more in PF / NPS. Open either card to change levers — most people land somewhere in between.
See wealth after
In your accountafter every lever
₹0/mo
Most cash every month New regime
Keeps everything liquid. Minimum PF, no extra locks. More money in your account this month.
In your account
₹0/mo
Tax this year
₹0
Parked in PF / NPS
₹0
In your accountafter every lever
₹0/mo
Lowest tax bill New regime
Parks more into PF, NPS and 80C. Tax drops, long-term wealth grows — that money stays invested for years.
In your account
₹0/mo
Tax this year
₹0
Parked in PF / NPS
₹0
Company-controlled
These numbers assume benefits your employer actually offers
Meal cards, device lease, car programs, fuel, telecom bills and NPS matching only work if they exist in your company’s CTC menu. Tap to see how each program works.
See company programs →
Coming soon
Early access + a few goodies
Employer benefit maps, structure presets, and tools shaped with people like you. Tap to get on the list.
Join list →
InHand is an educational tool, not tax or investment advice. Computations follow FY 2026-27 rules. Meal vouchers, device leasing and other benefits depend on your employer’s policy and notified conditions — always confirm with your employer or a tax advisor before acting. Career-view projections are illustrative, based on the assumptions you set; actual returns and salary growth vary and are not guaranteed.
Company-controlled

Programs your employer decides

Tax regime and personal investments matter. The largest differences in in-hand on the same CTC usually come from what the employer puts on the menu — and whether you can allocate into those heads.

Why company policy dominates

You can choose old vs new regime and top up 80C. You cannot invent a meal voucher, device lease, or fuel program if HR doesn’t offer it. High-quality CTC design shifts money from fully taxable special allowance into exempt or lower-tax components.

Rule of thumb: before optimising deductions, ask what pre-tax and reimbursable heads your employer supports. That list is often worth more than another ELSS investment.

Common structure programs in India

These appear frequently in mid-to-large private companies, startups with mature payroll, and MNCs. Availability and caps vary widely.

🍱 Meal vouchers / food cards

From FY 2026-27, up to ₹200 per meal can be tax-free under both regimes when provided as employer vouchers for working-hour meals (roughly up to ~₹1.05L/year). One of the highest-impact liquid benefits.

Both regimesPerquisite exemptionDoesn’t lock money

📱 Device lease (phone / laptop)

Employer leasing programs let you take a device you need anyway. Structured well, income-tax treatment and GST recovery can beat buying from post-tax salary. Policy and asset ownership rules are employer-specific.

Both regimesPolicy-dependentGST angle

⛽ Fuel / conveyance reimbursement

Official-duty fuel or conveyance reimbursed against bills is often tax-efficient versus a fully taxable transport allowance. Some firms also run fixed conveyance within prescribed limits.

Mostly old regimeBill-based

🚗 Car lease / company car

Corporate car lease or chauffeur programs shift part of mobility cost into structured perquisites with prescribed valuation rules. Can be valuable for senior roles; taxable value depends on engine size, ownership, and personal use.

Senior / policy-heavyPerquisite valuation

🛡️ Employer NPS (80CCD(2))

Employer contribution to NPS is deductible in both regimes — typically up to 14% of basic (new) or 10% (old) for private-sector employees — and sits outside the 80C ceiling. Powerful for tax, but the money is locked toward retirement.

Both regimesLocked savings

✈️ LTA

Leave Travel Allowance for domestic journeys (two in a four-year block) remains an old-regime exemption on fare only. Only useful if the company budgets LTA and you actually travel with proof.

Old regimeProof required

📞 Telecom & internet bills

Monthly mobile + broadband bills reimbursed against invoices — not a phone/laptop lease. Commonly non-taxable when used for work.

Both regimesBill-based

📚 Children education & hostel allowance

Under Rules 2026, education allowance can go up to ₹3,000/month per child (max two). Hostel allowance is higher. Old-regime benefit paid as an allowance by the employer.

Old regimeRules 2026

🎁 Gift vouchers / rewards

Employer gifts or vouchers have a higher tax-free threshold under the newer rules (commonly cited up to ₹15,000/year from FY 2026-27). Beyond the limit, the value is taxable.

Limited annual cap

🏦 PF intensity (min vs full)

Some employers allow choosing minimum statutory PF versus full 12% of basic. Full PF can help 80C in the old regime but locks cash. Minimum PF maximises liquid in-hand.

Both regimesLiquidity vs lock-in

Learn the levers

Short, plain-English notes on the main pieces that move your in-hand. Tap any card.

What to ask HR or payroll

1. Which reimbursable / voucher heads exist in the CTC menu?
2. Can I flex Special Allowance into meal cards, device lease, fuel, or NPS?
3. Is Basic fixed at 40–50% or flexible?
4. Are there caps per head per year?
5. For device or car programs — who owns the asset and how is GST handled?

InHand models the tax maths. Whether a lever is available is a company policy question — and usually the highest-leverage conversation you can have after joining or at appraisal.
Educational overview based on common Indian private-sector practice and FY 2026-27 rules. Actual treatment depends on your employer’s policy, documentation, and notified conditions.

Rent & HRA exemption

Rent is the biggest old-regime lever. Enter monthly rent — we compute the exact exemption (rent minus 10% of basic, capped).

₹