When Rahul got his appraisal letter in April 2025, it came with a small note from HR:

“We’ll move everyone to the new tax regime by default this year — it’s simpler and cleaner.”

Rahul nodded, like most of us would. No paperwork, fewer deductions, fewer confusions. Simpler sounded great.

A few months later, though, something didn’t add up. His salary credit emails showed a take-home that felt… off. Not dramatically low — just lower than he’d expected after a healthy hike. Curious, Rahul did something most people never do: actually break down his salary slip.

The Setup: ₹28L CTC, ₹65K Rent, and a Few Deductions

Rahul is a 33-year-old software engineer living in Bengaluru. He earns around ₹28L CTC, pays ₹65K per month in rent for his Koramangala apartment, and contributes to EPF and NPS through payroll.

In the old regime, he used to claim:

• HRA exemption (metro, 50% basic)
• 80C (EPF, NPS, term insurance — ₹1.5L)
• 80D (health insurance for family — ₹40K)

He wasn’t obsessed with taxes — just did the basics. But under the new regime, most of those deductions disappear. His HR assured him it would “even out.” So Rahul went with it.

The Moment of Curiosity

One weekend, while browsing threads on “old vs new tax regime 2025,” he stumbled upon a link: in-hand.in. The comment said:

“This one’s the only calculator that gives you both regimes side-by-side — with visuals and proper breakdown. It even generates a dual PDF slip.”

Rahul entered his numbers — CTC ₹28L, rent ₹65K (metro), 80C ₹1.5L, 80D ₹40K, NPS ₹50K — and hit Calculate.

The Shock

The screen showed two salary slips side by side — one for the New Regime, one for the Old. Charts, progress bars, and a waterfall from CTC → Deductions → Net Take-Home.

• Old Regime Take-Home: ₹21.4L
• New Regime Take-Home: ₹19.6L
• Difference: ₹1.8L

The “simpler” new regime wasn’t saving him time — it was costing him money.

Why the Old Regime Won (for Him)

The visualization made it obvious. In the old regime, high HRA plus standard deductions slashed Rahul’s taxable income. In the new regime, the ₹4L basic exemption couldn’t offset what he lost in deductions.

The dual slip even highlighted effective tax rates:

• Old Regime: 15.7%
• New Regime: 21.4%

What Rahul loved most wasn’t the numbers — it was the clarity. For the first time, he could see where each rupee went: tax, EPF, and what actually reached his bank.

The Turning Point

The next morning, Rahul emailed HR:

“Can you please switch me back to the Old Tax Regime for FY 2025–26? I’ll submit my proofs by December.”

He attached the dual PDF from in-hand.in. A quick reply came back:

“Got it — that’s a really detailed slip! Thanks for sharing.”

What Others Can Learn

Rahul’s case isn’t unique. Many mid-to-senior professionals in metros with high rent or EMIs are still better off in the old regime. The problem? Most calculators only show one regime at a time — or give rough estimates.

That’s why the Dual Slip at in-hand.in exists:

• Compare Old vs New Regimes side-by-side
• Visualize your income flow with charts
• Export beautiful PDF reports for HR/records
• Share via secure encrypted links (inputs pre-filled)

The Takeaway

Tax planning doesn’t start with deductions — it starts with clarity. Once Rahul saw both regimes visually, the decision was obvious. The math spoke for itself.

₹1.8L saved. One click. Zero confusion.

Note: “Rahul” is a composite of multiple user cases. Figures are illustrative and will vary based on your exact salary structure and proofs.