Salary and pay: calculators, guides and terms
Salary in India is more than one number. CTC includes the employer's PF and gratuity, in-hand pay depends on tax and deductions, and parts like HRA and statutory bonus follow their own rules. Under the Labour Codes, in force from 21 November 2025, if allowances go above half of total pay, the excess is added back to wages (Code on Wages, 2019, section 2(y)). From 17 September 2026 the PF wage ceiling is ₹25,000 a month, and from 1 April 2026 income tax follows the Income-tax Act, 2025. This page brings together HRexora's free calculators, guides and plain-English definitions on pay, so you can check a salary from offer letter to payslip.
Calculators
CTC to in-hand calculator
Your monthly take-home from any CTC, with PF, professional tax and both tax regimes.
OpenSalary hike calculator
Your new CTC and new in-hand after a hike, and how much of the hike tax takes.
OpenPF calculator
Your monthly PF split, the pension share, and your EPF balance year by year with the ₹25,000 ceiling.
OpenHRA exemption calculator
The least of HRA received, rent minus 10% of basic, and 50% or 40% of basic.
OpenStatutory bonus calculator
Statutory bonus under the Code on Wages: eligibility up to ₹21,000 a month, the ₹7,000 ceiling and the 8.33% to 20% range.
OpenGuides
Salary Slip Format in India: Form V Explained (2026)
Salary slip format for India as per Form V of the Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026: every field, a sample slip, when to issue it, and common mistakes.
ReadOffer Letter and Appointment Letter Format for India (2026)
Offer letter and appointment letter formats for India in 2026, what the Labour Codes now require, and a checklist before you send one.
ReadPF and Tax Forms Every Employee Should Know (2026)
PF and income tax forms for 2026: Form 16 is now Form 130, 12BB is now 124, 15G and 15H are now 121. What each is for and where to get it officially.
ReadIndia's New Labour Codes in 2026: What Changes for Employers
What India's new Labour Codes mean for small businesses, staffing agencies and firms with 300+ workers: wages, PF, gratuity, contract labour, checklist.
ReadTerms
CTC (Cost to Company)
CTC, or Cost to Company, is the total amount an employer spends on an employee in a year. It includes salary, the employer's PF contribution, the gratuity provision and any variable pay. CTC is not what reaches your bank account - that is your in-hand or take-home salary.
ReadBasic salary
Basic salary is the fixed core of your pay, before allowances. Basic plus dearness allowance (DA) is what the law calls "wages". Under the Code on Wages, in force from 21 November 2025, wages must be at least 50% of total pay, so PF and gratuity cannot be cut by keeping basic low.
ReadGross salary
Gross salary is your total pay before deductions - basic, DA, HRA and other allowances. It is CTC minus employer-only costs like employer PF and gratuity. Your in-hand salary is gross minus your own PF, professional tax and income tax (TDS).
ReadProvident Fund (PF)
Provident Fund (EPF) is a retirement savings scheme run by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). Each month the employee and the employer each contribute 12% of the employee's basic pay (basic + DA). The money earns interest every year and is paid out on retirement or exit, subject to EPFO rules.
ReadUAN (Universal Account Number)
UAN, or Universal Account Number, is a 12-digit number the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) gives every PF member. It stays the same for your whole career. Each employer opens a new PF account under the same UAN, so your PF history moves with you.
ReadForm 16 (now Form 130)
Form 16 was the certificate your employer gives you showing your salary and the tax (TDS) deducted in a year. Under the Income-tax Act, 2025 and Income-tax Rules, 2026, it is replaced by Form 130. Employers must issue it by 15 June after the tax year ends.
Read