📉 Payroll Deductions Breakdown

Last updated: February 26, 2026

Payroll Deductions Breakdown

Enter your salary details to see exactly where each rupee goes.

Net Take-Home Pay
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Earnings
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Your Salary Slip Decoded: A Complete Checklist of Every Payroll Deduction

You accepted a job offer of ₹8 lakhs per annum. On your first payday, your bank account shows ₹51,000 instead of the ₹66,667 you expected. What happened to the rest? The answer is hiding in a dense, jargon-packed document called your salary slip. This guide breaks down every line item — so you never feel ambushed by deductions again.

Checklist Item 1: Understand Your Gross vs. Net Split

The single most important distinction on any salary slip is gross salary versus net salary. Gross is what your employer agreed to pay you before any cuts. Net — also called take-home pay — is what actually lands in your account. Every number in between is a deduction, and each one has a legal or voluntary reason for existing. Your checklist starts here: know your gross, then trace every rupee that leaves it.

Checklist Item 2: Spot Your Earnings Structure

Before deductions, your gross salary is typically divided into allowance components. Most Indian employers structure it as:

  • Basic Salary — usually 40–50% of gross. This is the foundation for PF and gratuity calculations. A lower basic means lower statutory deductions but also lower retirement corpus.
  • House Rent Allowance (HRA) — typically 20% of gross (40% in metro cities per older norms, 50% under HRA exemption rules). This is partially exempt from tax if you actually pay rent and submit proof.
  • Special Allowance / Flexible Benefit Plan — the remainder, fully taxable. Some companies break this into meal coupons, transport allowance, or LTA, which may carry partial exemptions.

Why does this matter for deductions? Because PF is calculated on basic salary, not gross. If your basic is set low, your PF deduction is lower — and so is your employer's matching contribution to your retirement.

Checklist Item 3: Verify Your PF Deduction (the Biggest Statutory Cut)

Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is mandatory for all employees earning a basic salary up to ₹15,000/month in organizations with 20+ employees. The deduction is 12% of your basic salary. However, the statutory wage ceiling is ₹15,000 — meaning even if your basic is ₹50,000, the minimum mandatory PF deduction is capped at ₹1,800 (12% × ₹15,000). Your employer also contributes 12% — but 8.33% of that goes to EPS (Employees Pension Scheme), not your PF account.

Check this: If your basic exceeds ₹15,000, confirm whether your employer applies PF on the full basic or the capped ₹15,000. Both are legal. A higher base means a larger retirement corpus but lower take-home pay.

Checklist Item 4: Look for ESI (Applicable Below ₹21,000 Gross)

Employee State Insurance (ESI) applies only if your gross monthly salary is ₹21,000 or below. The employee's contribution is 0.75% of gross, while the employer contributes 3.25%. ESI covers medical, maternity, disability, and dependent benefits. If you earn more than ₹21,000, this line should be absent from your slip. If you got a raise mid-year and now earn above the threshold, ESI stops being deducted from the month your salary crosses ₹21,000, and resumes from the next ESI contribution period if it falls back below.

Checklist Item 5: Check the Professional Tax Amount

Professional Tax (PT) is a state-level deduction, so it varies by state and is not applicable everywhere in India. States like Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh levy it. The maximum allowed under Indian law is ₹2,500 per year (roughly ₹200–₹208/month). Some states have slab-based monthly deductions — West Bengal deducts ₹208 for salaries above ₹40,000/month. If you live in Delhi, Rajasthan, or several other states, this line will be zero. Verify your slip matches your state's actual slab.

Checklist Item 6: Decode Your TDS / Income Tax Deduction

Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) is the income tax your employer deducts monthly and remits to the government on your behalf. It is calculated based on your estimated annual tax liability divided by 12. Three things affect this number heavily:

  • Which regime you chose — New Regime (FY 2025-26) has slabs from 5% to 30% with a ₹75,000 standard deduction and no tax if taxable income stays under ₹7 lakh. Old Regime allows deductions like 80C (₹1.5L), HRA exemption, and more.
  • Your investment declaration — If you submitted Form 12BB showing PPF, ELSS, LIC, or rent receipts, your TDS will be lower. If you haven't declared investments, your employer deducts tax on the higher taxable income.
  • Marginal relief and cess — A 4% Health & Education Cess applies on top of your base tax. If your income is just above ₹7 lakh in the new regime, marginal relief prevents you from paying more tax than the income that pushed you over the threshold.

Checklist Item 7: Spot Voluntary and Loan Deductions

Below statutory deductions, your slip may show:

  • Voluntary PF (VPF) — extra PF contribution beyond the mandatory 12%. This goes into your EPF account and earns the same interest rate (currently ~8.15% p.a.), tax-free under Section 80C up to the combined ₹1.5 lakh limit.
  • Salary Advance Recovery — if you took an advance, it appears as a deduction over the agreed months.
  • Group Health / Term Insurance Premium — employer-provided group insurance premium, if any, deducted from your salary.
  • Loan EMI deductions — some companies offer employee loans; repayments appear here.

Checklist Item 8: Calculate Your Employer's Hidden Cost

Your CTC (Cost to Company) is almost always higher than your gross salary because your employer also contributes to PF and ESI on your behalf. Employer PF = another 12% of basic (or ₹1,800 if basic is above ₹15,000). Employer ESI = 3.25% of gross (if applicable). This means if your gross monthly is ₹50,000 and basic is ₹25,000, your employer's actual cost is roughly ₹51,800 or more — but you only see ₹50,000 on your slip.

Checklist Item 9: Reconcile with Form 16 and 26AS

At year end, your employer issues Form 16 — a consolidated summary of all TDS deducted during the financial year. Cross-check the total TDS in Form 16 against your 12 monthly pay slips. Also verify the same number appears in your Form 26AS (available on the income tax portal), which shows all tax deposited against your PAN. Any mismatch can cause issues when you file your ITR. Make this reconciliation in April each year, before the filing deadline.

Checklist Item 10: Know When to Challenge a Deduction

Errors happen. Here is what to watch for and when to escalate to HR or your payroll team:

  • PF deducted but no UAN or EPFO passbook entry — money not deposited
  • ESI deducted on a salary above ₹21,000 gross
  • Professional Tax above ₹200/month (max allowed in most states)
  • TDS deducted despite income being below taxable threshold
  • Any unlabeled or unexplained deduction line

Under the Payment of Wages Act, unauthorized deductions are illegal. You have the right to a fully itemized slip and an explanation for every line.

Understanding your payroll deductions is not optional financial literacy — it is how you protect your own money, plan your investments, and file accurate tax returns. Use the calculator above to model your own salary structure, then hold it against your actual slip every single month.

FAQ

What is the difference between CTC and gross salary?
CTC (Cost to Company) includes everything the employer spends on you — gross salary plus employer contributions to PF (12% of basic, minimum ₹1,800/month) and ESI (3.25% of gross if applicable). Gross salary is the total before employee-side deductions but excludes what the employer pays separately. So if your CTC is ₹8 LPA, your actual gross may be ₹7–7.5 LPA after removing employer PF from the package.
How is TDS on salary calculated every month?
Your employer estimates your total annual tax liability based on your declared investments (Form 12BB), the regime you chose, and applicable deductions. That annual tax amount is then divided by 12 and deducted each month. If you switch regimes mid-year or submit investment proofs late, your TDS will adjust in subsequent months — sometimes causing a spike in December–February as the employer catches up.
Is PF deducted on the full basic salary or capped at ₹15,000?
The statutory minimum PF deduction is capped at ₹1,800/month (12% × ₹15,000 wage ceiling). However, many employers voluntarily calculate PF on the actual basic salary — so if your basic is ₹40,000, your PF deduction could be ₹4,800. Both are legal. A higher PF contribution means a larger retirement corpus and more 80C benefit, but lower take-home pay each month.
When does ESI stop being deducted from my salary?
ESI (Employee State Insurance) applies only when your gross monthly salary is ₹21,000 or below. Once your salary crosses this threshold — whether due to a raise, promotion, or variable pay — ESI deductions stop from the following ESI contribution period (April 1 or October 1, whichever comes next). You still retain ESI benefits for a transition period even after deductions stop.
What is professional tax and does everyone pay it?
Professional tax is a state-level tax on employment income, distinct from income tax. It is levied only in certain states — Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and a few others. The maximum is ₹2,500 per year. States like Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh do not levy it at all. If your salary slip shows professional tax and you work in a non-PT state, that is an error to flag with your payroll team.
Can I reduce my total deductions legally?
Yes. Under the old tax regime, declaring investments under Section 80C (PF, ELSS, LIC — up to ₹1.5L), submitting HRA rent receipts, and claiming Section 80D for health insurance premiums all reduce your taxable income and therefore your TDS. Under the new regime, fewer deductions apply but slabs are lower. Additionally, structuring a higher HRA or meal allowance in your CTC (if your employer allows restructuring) can reduce taxable components without affecting gross salary.