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๐Ÿ’ฐ CTC to In-Hand Salary ๐Ÿ  HRA Exemption ๐Ÿ“Š ITR / Income Tax ๐Ÿ–๏ธ Leave Encashment ๐ŸŽฏ Retirement Package

Letters & Docs

๐Ÿ’ฌ Hinglish Email Fixer ๐ŸŽ“ Job Application Email ๐Ÿ›๏ธ Sarkari Letter ๐Ÿšช Resignation Kit ๐Ÿงพ Rent Receipt ๐Ÿ“„ GST Invoice

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Income Tax Dept. rules, FY 2025-26

HRA exemption,
tax-free nikaalo

Enter your basic salary, HRA received and rent paid โ€” get your exact tax-free HRA with full rule-by-rule breakdown.

Enter your details

All fields in Indian Rupees (โ‚น)

Monthly figures
Annual figures
โ‚น
โ‚น
โ‚น
MetroDelhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai
Non-MetroBangalore, Pune, others
๐Ÿ  Enter your details to see your
tax-free HRA exemption

How HRA exemption works

Rule 1

Actual HRA received

The HRA your employer actually pays you, as shown on your payslip โ€” straightforward, no calculation needed.

Rule 2

Rent minus 10% of basic

Whatever rent you pay above 10% of your basic salary. If your rent is low relative to basic, this number can be small or zero.

Rule 3

50% or 40% of basic

Metro cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai) get 50% of basic. Every other city gets 40% โ€” this caps the maximum possible exemption.

Important

Only under old tax regime

HRA exemption is only available if you've opted for the old tax regime. Under the new regime, your full HRA is taxable.

Commonly asked questions

How is HRA exemption calculated in India? +

HRA exemption is the minimum of three values โ€” actual HRA received, rent paid minus 10% of basic salary, and 50% (metro) or 40% (non-metro) of basic salary. Whichever of the three is lowest becomes your tax-free amount, and the rest of your HRA is taxed as income.

Which cities count as metro for HRA exemption? +

Only Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are treated as metro cities for HRA purposes, qualifying for the higher 50% of basic salary rule. All other cities โ€” including Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Gurgaon โ€” use the 40% non-metro rate.

Can I claim HRA exemption under the new tax regime? +

No. HRA exemption is only available under the old tax regime. If you've opted for the new tax regime, your HRA is fully taxable no matter how much rent you pay.

Do I need rent receipts to claim HRA exemption? +

Yes. Most employers ask for rent receipts to process the exemption in payroll, and if your annual rent crosses โ‚น1,00,000 you'll also need your landlord's PAN.