Let's Get the Big One Out of the Way First
If you're earning ₹10 lakh salary and haven't thought about tax planning at all — relax, there's a decent chance you're already fine. Under the new regime for FY 2025-26, a gross salary of ₹10 lakh means your taxable income after the ₹75,000 standard deduction is ₹9.25 lakh. That's under the ₹12 lakh threshold for Section 87A rebate. So: zero tax. Done.
That said, plenty of people are still on the old regime — sometimes by choice, sometimes because they declared it last year and forgot to switch. And even if you're on new regime, understanding the deduction landscape helps you make smarter financial decisions. So let's go through everything.
Gross salary ₹10,00,000 → minus standard deduction ₹75,000 → taxable income ₹9,25,000. Tax on this under new regime slabs: 0% on ₹4L + 5% on ₹4L = ₹20,000, then 10% on ₹1.25L = ₹12,500. Total: ₹32,500. But taxable income is below ₹12L, so Section 87A rebate of up to ₹60,000 applies — it wipes out the ₹32,500 entirely. Net tax = ₹0. No investment needed, no documentation, nothing.
Okay, But What If You're on Old Regime?
Then tax planning matters a lot. Under old regime with zero deductions, a ₹10 lakh salary leads to a tax bill of around ₹1,12,500 (after the ₹50,000 standard deduction). That's real money — and most of it is avoidable if you plan ahead.
Here's what you can actually do:
Step 1 — Max Out Section 80C (Saves Up to ₹46,800)
This is the most commonly known deduction — and the most commonly misused. Section 80C lets you deduct up to ₹1.5 lakh from your taxable income by investing in specific instruments. On a ₹10L income, this saves you roughly ₹46,800 in tax (at the 30% effective rate on that slice).
The options inside 80C aren't all equal though. Here's a quick breakdown:
ELSS Mutual Funds Best Returns Potential
3-year lock-in, market-linked returns. Historically 12–15% CAGR over long periods. Best 80C option if you have a 5+ year horizon. Invest through SIP to avoid timing risk.
PPF (Public Provident Fund) Safest Option
15-year lock-in, 7.1% interest (revised quarterly), EEE tax status — exempt at contribution, accumulation, and withdrawal. Ideal if you want zero risk.
EPF (Employee Provident Fund) Already Happening
Your 12% of basic salary going to PF every month counts toward 80C. Most salaried employees are already partly filling this without realising it.
Home Loan Principal Double Benefit
Principal repayment on a home loan counts toward 80C ceiling. The interest portion is a separate deduction under Section 24(b). Two bites at the apple.
5-Year Tax Saver FD Low Risk
Bank FDs with 5-year lock-in qualify for 80C. Interest is taxable though — unlike PPF. Still useful if you want simplicity over returns.
LIC / Term Insurance Premium Check Fine Print
Premium on life insurance policies qualifies — but only if the premium is less than 10% of sum assured. Buying expensive endowment plans just for 80C is rarely a good deal.
A very common mistake — buying a ₹1L traditional LIC endowment policy to "save tax". The returns on these are typically 4–5% over long tenures, and you lose liquidity for 15–20 years. The tax saving is real but the underlying product is usually a poor investment. If you need life insurance, get a pure term plan (not eligible for 80C beyond the premium). Fill 80C with ELSS or PPF instead.
Step 2 — HRA Exemption (Can Save ₹30,000–₹80,000+)
If you live in a rented house and your salary has an HRA component, this is often the biggest single deduction available to you in the old regime — bigger than 80C for many metro residents.
The exemption is the minimum of three amounts: (a) actual HRA received from employer, (b) rent paid minus 10% of basic salary, (c) 50% of basic salary (if you live in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, or Kolkata) or 40% (other cities).
For a ₹10L salary with a typical metro structure — say ₹4.8L basic, ₹2.4L HRA, paying ₹20,000/month rent in Bengaluru:
- Actual HRA received: ₹2,40,000
- Rent paid minus 10% basic: ₹2,40,000 – ₹48,000 = ₹1,92,000
- 40% of basic (non-metro): ₹1,92,000
- HRA exemption = ₹1,92,000 (lowest of the three)
That's nearly ₹2 lakh off your taxable income, saving roughly ₹62,400 in tax at the 30%+cess effective rate. Not bad for something you're already spending on.
Step 3 — Section 80D: Health Insurance (Saves ₹7,800–₹23,400)
This one's underused. Under Section 80D, you can deduct health insurance premiums from your taxable income — ₹25,000 for yourself, spouse, and children. Add ₹25,000 more (or ₹50,000 if they're senior citizens) for your parents' health insurance.
On a ₹10L income where you're in the 30% slab after other deductions, that ₹25,000 saves around ₹7,800 in tax. If you're also covering senior parents, the combined ₹75,000 deduction saves ₹23,400. And unlike 80C, this isn't a lock-in — it's money you'd spend on insurance anyway.
A lot of people know about the ₹25,000 for their own family but don't claim for parents. Even if your parents have a separate Mediclaim, if you're paying the premium (even by UPI from your account to theirs, then they pay), you can claim the deduction. The condition is that you're the one making the payment — the policy just needs to be in their name.
Step 4 — NPS Additional Deduction (Saves Up to ₹15,600)
Section 80CCD(1B) lets you claim an additional ₹50,000 deduction for your own NPS (National Pension System) contributions — over and above the ₹1.5L 80C ceiling. So total deductible NPS investment can be ₹2 lakh a year in the old regime.
On a ₹10L income, that ₹50,000 saves roughly ₹15,600 in tax. The downside: NPS locks your money until age 60, and you can only withdraw 60% as lump sum (rest goes into an annuity). It works well as a retirement vehicle, but it's illiquid. Don't use it if you might need the money before retirement.
The Full Picture: How Much Can You Actually Save?
Let's put it all together. Assume Neha earns exactly ₹10 lakh CTC, with ₹4.8L basic, ₹2L HRA, rest as allowances. She lives in Mumbai, pays ₹22,000/month rent, maxes her 80C, has health insurance for herself + senior parents.
Neha — ₹10L CTC, Mumbai, Old Regime with Full Deductions
Tax saved: ₹1,12,500Without Planning (Old Regime)
With Full Planning (Old Regime)
With the right deductions in place, Neha brings her taxable income below ₹2.5L — the basic exemption limit in old regime — and pays nothing. Compare that to ₹1,12,500 without planning. These are real instruments she'd ideally hold anyway (insurance, retirement savings, investments). The tax benefit is a bonus, not the reason.
New vs Old Regime at ₹10 Lakh — The Final Comparison
| Scenario | New Regime Tax | Old Regime Tax | Better Choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| No deductions at all | ₹0 | ₹1,12,500 | New regime by ₹1.12L |
| Only 80C (₹1.5L) | ₹0 | ₹65,700 | New regime by ₹65,700 |
| 80C + HRA (₹2L+) | ₹0 | ₹0 | Roughly equal |
| 80C + HRA + 80D + NPS | ₹0 | ₹0 | Both zero — new regime simpler |
The honest answer at ₹10L: new regime wins in almost every scenario because the zero-tax benefit under 87A makes the entire question moot. The old regime only makes sense if you have very specific reasons to stay — like needing to report capital losses, or a business income that changes the tax structure.
One Situation Where Old Regime Still Makes Sense at ₹10L
If your income is slightly above ₹10L — say ₹10.5L to ₹12.75L — you're in a bit of a grey zone. New regime still gives zero tax up to ₹12.75L gross (because taxable income stays under ₹12L after standard deduction). But if your income is, for example, ₹13L gross, your taxable income under new regime is ₹12.25L — just above the ₹12L rebate cliff. Suddenly you owe ₹1,87,500 in tax.
At that point, if you have substantial HRA + 80C + 80D, old regime might bring your taxable income down enough to pay less than new regime. Run the numbers specifically — the income tax calculator handles this comparison exactly.