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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.
This week: TDS on salary explained, June 15 advance tax deadline, and ITR filing is open
New article on TDS under Section 192 — how your employer calculates the monthly deduction and the job-switcher trap. Plus: advance tax first instalment is due June 15, and ITR filing for FY 2025-26 is now open with a July 31 deadline.
Recent articles
All articles →ELSS mutual funds: how the 3-year lock-in works for SIP investments, and the tax at redemption
ELSS is the only mutual fund that qualifies for 80C. The 3-year lock-in is per unit, not per SIP — a 24-month SIP started in January 2024 won't be fully redeemable until December 2027. All ELSS gains are LTCG (taxed at 12.5% above ₹1.25L). Here's the complete guide with worked tax examples.
Emergency fund: how much to keep and where to park it in India
An emergency fund covers 3–6 months of monthly expenses — not income. For Meera with ₹44,300 in monthly expenses, that is ₹1.33–₹2.66 lakh. Keep 1–2 months in a savings account (instant access) and the rest in a liquid mutual fund (T+1). Here's the full framework and what not to do.
PPF account in India: interest rate, contribution rules, withdrawal, and how to open one
PPF earns 7.1% tax-free, is government-guaranteed, and gives you EEE treatment — contributions deductible under 80C, interest tax-free, maturity tax-free. ₹1.5L/year for 15 years grows to approximately ₹40.7 lakh. This guide covers how to open one, partial withdrawal rules, and what to do at maturity.
Section 80C deductions: complete list for FY 2025-26, what qualifies, and how to use the ₹1.5 lakh limit
Section 80C gives you ₹1.5 lakh in deductions — but EPF already uses part of it automatically. At ₹40,000 basic salary, EPF alone accounts for ₹57,600. This guide lists all 12 qualifying instruments, confirms what doesn't qualify (health insurance, employer PF), and shows how to fill the remaining limit efficiently.
Gratuity calculation in India: formula, eligibility, the 5-year rule, and what you will actually receive
Gratuity = (basic salary × 15 × years of service) ÷ 26. At ₹50,000 basic after 10 years that is ₹2.88 lakh. This guide shows the exact formula, how the 5-year rule is counted (and why 4 years 8 months often qualifies), what counts as basic salary, and four worked examples.
TDS on salary: how your employer calculates it, why you might be overpaying, and how to fix it
Your employer deducts TDS under Section 192 based on a projection of your annual salary. If you haven't submitted investment declarations (Form 12BB), they assume no deductions — and deduct far more than you owe. This guide explains the exact formula, the job-switcher trap, and how to verify and recover excess TDS.
How SIP compounding actually works: the real maths, the inflection point, and why the last 5 years matter most
At ₹10,000/month for 25 years, the final 5 years add ₹90 lakh to your corpus — 3x more than all 25 years of contributions combined. This guide shows the actual SIP formula, the lifecycle table at 10%, 12% and 14% CAGR, and the inflection point where compounding overtakes your contributions.
What is EPF and EPS: where does your employer's 12% go and how does the split work?
Your employer's 12% PF contribution is not all going to your EPF account. ₹1,250 every month goes to the Employee Pension Scheme (EPS) for your retirement pension. This guide explains the exact split at five salary levels, what EPS pension you'll actually receive, and how EDLI insurance works.
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Calculators
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