Your salary slip, explained simply

A plain-language guide to every line on an Indian salary slip — basic, HRA, DA, allowances, PF, professional tax and TDS — and how they add up to your take-home pay.

Basic salary is the fixed core of your pay and the base for PF, gratuity and HRA exemption. Here's what it means and why a higher or lower basic changes your take-home and savings.

CTC, gross salary and take-home pay are three different numbers. Here's what each means, how to get from one to the next, and why your in-hand pay is lower than your CTC.

Your CTC includes employer PF, gratuity and benefits you never receive in cash, then PF, professional tax and TDS are deducted. Here's exactly where the gap goes.

HRA (House Rent Allowance) is a salary component that can be partly tax-free if you pay rent. Here's what it means on your payslip and how the exemption is calculated.

TDS is the income tax your employer deducts from your salary each month and deposits with the government. Here's why it happens, how it's calculated, and how to claim a refund if too much is cut.