PF & Tax5 min
EPF Advance Rules: Partial Withdrawals While Still Employed
EPF advance rules explained: housing, medical, education, and marriage advances, service requirements, withdrawal limits, documents, and tax treatment.
PF, Tax & CTC
EPF, EPS, gratuity, Form 16, HRA and the tax regimes — what comes out of your CTC and why.
Every salaried employee in India pays into the Employees' Provident Fund, may become eligible for gratuity, and has to choose between the old and new income tax regimes — usually without anyone explaining how any of it works. This section is that explanation, written against the current rules and with worked numbers.
The guides are grouped by topic. EPF and EPS covers checking your balance, UAN and KYC, withdrawals and advances, transferring PF when you change jobs, nomination, the interest rate and how your pension is calculated. Tax covers Form 16, filing your ITR, HRA exemption, the standard deduction and choosing a regime. CTC and payslip explains basic pay, variable pay and every line on a salary slip, and the last group covers gratuity and leave encashment. To see what all of this does to your monthly pay, use the in-hand salary calculator.
21 guides
EPF, EPS and PF
PF & Tax5 min
EPF Grievance Portal: How to File a Complaint (2026)
How to use EPFiGMS: what the portal handles, step-by-step filing, how to write a grievance that gets acted on, timelines, and the escalation ladder.
PF & Tax4 min
EPS Higher Pension Option: Who Qualified + Status (2026)
The EPS higher pension option explained: the Supreme Court ruling, who was eligible, the math versus ceiling-based pension, and where applications stand in 2026.
PF & Tax4 min
EPF Nomination Online: How to File e-Nomination (2026)
File or update your EPF e-nomination on the EPFO portal in 10 minutes: step-by-step process, who you can nominate, when to update, and mistakes that invalidate it.
PF & Tax4 min
UAN Activation and KYC Guide 2026: Step by Step (EPFO)
How to activate your UAN on the EPFO portal and complete Aadhaar, PAN, and bank KYC - plus fixes for the most common activation errors.
PF & Tax4 min
How to Check EPF Balance: Missed Call, SMS, UMANG (2026)
Four official ways to check your EPF balance: missed call to 9966044425, SMS to 7738299899, the passbook portal, and the UMANG app - plus fixes for common problems.
PF & Tax5 min
EPF Interest Rate 2026: 8.25% Notified for FY 2025-26
EPFO notified 8.25% interest on EPF for FY 2025-26, ratified by the finance ministry in June 2026. How interest is calculated, when it credits, and what your balance earns.
PF & Tax5 min
EPS Pension Calculation 2026: Formula After Rs 25,000 Ceiling
EPS pension = pensionable salary x pensionable service / 70. After the Rs 25,000 wage ceiling from 17 September 2026, the maximum standard pension rises to Rs 12,500. Worked examples inside.
PF & Tax6 min
PF Transfer When Changing Jobs (2026): Steps, Timeline, Traps
How to transfer your EPF when switching jobs in India: auto-transfer vs manual claims, step-by-step on the UAN portal, EPS pension impact, and the mistakes that stall transfers.
PF & Tax7 min
EPF Withdrawal Rules in India (2026): Full, Partial, Tax and Process
When you can withdraw EPF fully or partially, the five-year tax rule, transfer vs withdrawal on a job switch, and how to file a claim online through the UAN portal.
PF & Tax6 min
EPF Wage Ceiling Raised to Rs 25,000: What Changes for You
EPFO wage ceiling hiked from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 on 17 Sep 2026. How it changes your PF, take-home pay and pension - with the exact math.
PF & Tax8 min
PF Deduction Explained: What Actually Comes Out of Your Salary
A line-by-line explanation of your PF deduction — the 12% employee and employer contribution, the EPS split, the ₹15,000 wage ceiling, and what happens when you withdraw.
Income tax
PF & Tax4 min
Form 16 Explained: Parts A and B, How to Read It and Use It
Form 16 explained for salaried employees: Part A and Part B, what to check, how it matches Form 26AS and AIS, and how it is used to file your ITR.
PF & Tax4 min
HRA Exemption Calculation: Formula + Examples (2026)
HRA exemption is the least of three amounts: actual HRA, 50%/40% of basic, or rent minus 10% of basic. Formula, worked examples, documents needed, and old vs new regime guidance.
PF & Tax9 min
New Tax Regime vs Old Regime: Which One Should You Pick?
A worked comparison of the new tax regime vs old regime for FY 2026-27 — slabs, standard deduction, the Section 87A rebate, and when each one actually wins.
CTC and your payslip
PF & Tax9 min
Basic Salary Percentage in CTC: How Much Should It Be?
Basic salary is the number every other payroll figure is calculated from. Here is what your basic salary percentage actually controls, and why the take-home difference is smaller than you think.
PF & Tax10 min
Variable Pay in CTC: Why Two ₹12 LPA Offers Pay Differently
Two offers, both ₹12,00,000. One pays about ₹15,000 more every month. The difference is one line in the annexure, and it is worth understanding before you sign.
PF & Tax8 min
Salary Slip Components Explained: Every Line Item Decoded
A line-by-line breakdown of Basic, HRA, DA, PF, professional tax and TDS on an Indian payslip, with a full worked example on an ₹8 LPA CTC.
PF & Tax9 min
CTC vs In Hand Salary: The Full Breakdown for FY 2026-27
CTC and in-hand salary differ by employer PF, gratuity provision, professional tax, and income tax. Here's the full line-by-line math at two real CTC levels using FY 2026-27 tax slabs.
Gratuity and leave
PF & Tax4 min
Leave Encashment Calculation: Formula, Tax Rules and Examples
Leave encashment calculation made simple: the daily-rate formula, tax exemption limits on resignation or retirement, and worked examples in rupees.
PF & Tax8 min
Gratuity Calculation India: Formula, Examples, and Tax Limit
Gratuity calculation in India follows a fixed 15/26 formula with a 5-year eligibility rule and a ₹20 lakh tax-exempt ceiling. Full worked examples from ₹40,000 basic to salaries that cross the ceiling.