Tax
How to e-verify your ITR and what happens if you don't within 30 days
16 Jun 2026·6 min read
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The first crore is the hardest. Start here.
Tax, investing, salary, insurance and credit — in plain English, for young Indians who earn well but haven't had time to figure out where it all goes.
◆ FeaturedThis WeekTopical
This week: 12 new articles on home loans, VPF, SIP maths, and tax — plus the June 15 advance tax deadline
A heavy week: home loan EMI maths, rent vs buy, VPF vs PPF, the cost of starting a SIP late, step-up SIPs, FD interest tax, LTCG harvesting, and the completion of Zero to One Chapter 2 on the old vs new tax regime. Plus: advance tax first instalment is due June 15.
14 Jun 2026 · 4 min readRead →
Recent articles
All articles →Tax
Which ITR form should you file for AY 2026-27: ITR-1 vs ITR-2 vs ITR-3 vs ITR-4
Filing the wrong ITR form triggers a defective return notice. ITR-1 works for salary + interest up to ₹50L with LTCG under ₹1.25L. Sold equity above ₹1.25L? You need ITR-2. Traded F&O or freelance? ITR-3 is mandatory even for one trade. Here's the full decision table for salaried employees.
16 Jun 2026·7 min read
Tax
F&O trading losses: how they are taxed, whether you can set them off against salary, and what June 15 means for traders
F&O income is business income — not capital gains. You file ITR-3, pay tax at slab rate, and cannot set off F&O losses against salary income. SEBI data shows 93% of F&O traders lost money. Losses carry forward 8 years. And if you trade F&O profitably, today (June 15) is your advance tax instalment deadline.
15 Jun 2026·8 min read
Investing
What is the cost of starting your SIP 5 years late — in exact rupees
A 5-year delay in starting ₹10,000/month at 12% CAGR costs ₹2.10 crore by age 60 — illustration only. To make up that delay starting at 30, you'd need to invest ₹17,900/month instead of ₹10,000 — 79% more, every month, for 30 years. The early years cannot be recovered by investing more later.
14 Jun 2026·7 min read
Investing
How much should a 25-year-old invest monthly to reach ₹1 crore — and what it actually means after inflation
At 12% CAGR, a 25-year-old needs ₹2,100/month to reach ₹1 crore by 60 — investing just ₹8.82 lakh total, the rest is compounding. But ₹1 crore in 35 years is only ₹13 lakh in today's purchasing power. The inflation-adjusted target of ₹1 crore in today's money requires ₹16,000/month. All figures are illustrations.
14 Jun 2026·7 min read
Investing
Should I buy a house or keep renting and invest the difference? The P/R ratio framework
Mumbai's P/R ratio is 30–45, Bengaluru's is 24–35 — meaning you pay 30–45 years of rent to own the property. Arjun's comparison: renting at ₹30K and investing ₹61,300/month builds ~₹5.8 crore in 20 years vs buying a ₹1.2 crore property appreciating at 6% → ~₹3.85 crore. The math favours renting — if you actually invest the difference.
13 Jun 2026·9 min read
Investing
What is VPF and why it beats PPF for salaried employees: the 8.25% vs 7.1% comparison
VPF lets salaried EPF members contribute extra into their EPF account at the same 8.25% interest — no contribution cap, same EEE treatment. On ₹10,000/month over 20 years, VPF builds ₹62L vs PPF's ₹49L. It's set up through HR as a payroll deduction and automates the entire savings process.
13 Jun 2026·7 min read
Personal Finance
Can I switch between the old and new tax regime every year?
Yes — salaried employees can switch between old and new regime every financial year. Tell your employer in April for TDS; choose your final regime at ITR time in July. You can switch to old regime even after the employer deducted TDS for new regime — you'll get a refund. Employees with business income have one-time exit rules.
12 Jun 2026·6 min read
Personal Finance
Section 87A rebate: when it applies, the ₹12L cliff in the new regime, and what it does NOT cover
The Section 87A rebate makes income up to ₹12L taxable (₹12.75L gross) completely tax-free under the new regime. But at ₹12.25L taxable, your tax suddenly jumps to ₹66,300 — a cliff effect where a ₹25,000 raise costs you ₹41,300 in net income. And the rebate doesn't apply to equity STCG or LTCG at all.
12 Jun 2026·6 min read
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