Income Tax in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) FY 2025-26

Professional tax of Rs 2,500/year applies in Chennai (Tamil Nadu levies Rs 2500/year. For salary above Rs 21000/month employees pay approx Rs 208/month under the Tamil Nadu PT schedule). HRA exemption: 50% of basic salary (metro city under IT Act). All in-hand figures below account for PT, PF, and TDS.

PT: Rs 2,500/yr
HRA: 50% (Metro)
Top employers: HCL, Cognizant, TCS

Zero Tax Salaries in Chennai

Section 87A rebate covers full tax up to Rs 12,75,000 gross. Professional tax of Rs 208/month still deducted.

Rs 3 lakhZERO TAX
Old regimeZero
Monthly in-handRs 23,292
Rs 4 lakhZERO TAX
Old regimeZero
Monthly in-handRs 31,125
Rs 5 lakhZERO TAX
Old regimeZero
Monthly in-handRs 38,959
Rs 6 lakhZERO TAX
Old regimeRs 23,400
Monthly in-handRs 46,792
Rs 7 lakhZERO TAX
Old regimeRs 44,200
Monthly in-handRs 54,625
Rs 8 lakhZERO TAX
Old regimeRs 65,000
Monthly in-handRs 62,459
Rs 9 lakhZERO TAX
Old regimeRs 85,800
Monthly in-handRs 70,292
Rs 10 lakhZERO TAX
Old regimeRs 1,06,600
Monthly in-handRs 78,125
Rs 11 lakhZERO TAX
Old regimeRs 1,32,600
Monthly in-handRs 85,959

New Regime Tax Applies in Chennai

Gross above Rs 12,75,000. Section 87A rebate does not apply. New regime still saves vs old regime at most salary levels.

Rs 13 lakhNew: Rs 66,300
Old regimeRs 1,95,000
Monthly in-handRs 96,100
Rs 14 lakhNew: Rs 81,900
Old regimeRs 2,26,200
Monthly in-handRs 1,02,634
Rs 15 lakhNew: Rs 97,500
Old regimeRs 2,57,400
Monthly in-handRs 1,09,167
Rs 18 lakhNew: Rs 1,50,800
Old regimeRs 3,51,000
Monthly in-handRs 1,28,225
Rs 20 lakhNew: Rs 1,92,400
Old regimeRs 4,13,400
Monthly in-handRs 1,40,426
Rs 25 lakhNew: Rs 3,19,800
Old regimeRs 5,69,400
Monthly in-handRs 1,68,975
Rs 30 lakhNew: Rs 4,75,800
Old regimeRs 7,25,400
Monthly in-handRs 1,95,142
Rs 35 lakhNew: Rs 6,31,800
Old regimeRs 8,81,400
Monthly in-handRs 2,21,309
Rs 40 lakhNew: Rs 7,87,800
Old regimeRs 10,37,400
Monthly in-handRs 2,47,475
Rs 50 lakhNew: Rs 10,99,800
Old regimeRs 13,49,400
Monthly in-handRs 2,99,809

Professional Tax in Chennai: How It Works

Tamil Nadu levies Rs 2500/year. For salary above Rs 21000/month employees pay approx Rs 208/month under the Tamil Nadu PT schedule. Your employer deducts PT monthly from gross pay before crediting your salary.

The monthly deduction is Rs 208 for 11 months and Rs 300 in February. This Rs 2,500/year is not deductible under the new tax regime.

How Chennai In-Hand Compares to Other Cities

At Rs 10 lakh salary. Only professional tax differs — income tax and PF are the same across all cities.

Monthly in-hand salary at Rs 10 lakh CTC across major Indian cities, FY 2025-26
CityStatePT/yearPT/monthMonthly in-hand
DelhiDelhiNilNilRs 78,333
HyderabadTelanganaRs 2,400Rs 200Rs 78,133
BangaloreKarnatakaRs 2,500Rs 208Rs 78,125
MumbaiMaharashtraRs 2,500Rs 208Rs 78,125
PuneMaharashtraRs 2,500Rs 208Rs 78,125
Chennai (this city)Tamil NaduRs 2,500Rs 208Rs 78,125

Browse Other City Tax Guides

Bangalore

Karnataka · PT: Rs 2,500/yr

View all Bangalore salary guides →

Mumbai

Maharashtra · PT: Rs 2,500/yr

View all Mumbai salary guides →

Delhi

Delhi · PT: Nil

View all Delhi salary guides →

Hyderabad

Telangana · PT: Rs 2,400/yr

View all Hyderabad salary guides →

Pune

Maharashtra · PT: Rs 2,500/yr

View all Pune salary guides →

Compare all cities on one pageorBrowse by salary level (all cities)

Frequently Asked Questions — Chennai Income Tax

How much professional tax in Chennai FY 2025-26?
Professional tax in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) is Rs 2,500/year for salaried employees above the income threshold. Tamil Nadu levies Rs 2500/year. For salary above Rs 21000/month employees pay approx Rs 208/month under the Tamil Nadu PT schedule. This works out to Rs 208/month deducted from your monthly pay.
What is monthly in-hand for Rs 10 lakh salary in Chennai?
For Rs 10 lakh CTC in Chennai, monthly in-hand under the new regime is Rs Rs 78,125. Deductions: employee PF Rs 5,000/month (12% of basic), professional tax Rs 208/month, and zero TDS (tax is nil after Section 87A rebate). Income tax on Rs 10 lakh salary in Chennai is zero under the new regime in FY 2025-26.
Is HRA exemption 40% or 50% in Chennai?
Chennai is classified as a metro city under Section 10(13A) of the Income Tax Act. The HRA exemption rate is 50% of basic salary (not 40%). This applies to Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata only. Old regime filers paying significant rent get a larger HRA deduction in Chennai than in non-metro cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, or Pune.
How does Chennai in-hand compare with Delhi at the same salary?
Delhi has no professional tax (Rs 0/year), while Chennai charges Rs 2,500/year (Rs 208/month). At Rs 10 lakh salary, a Chennai employee takes home Rs 208/month less than a Delhi employee at the same gross salary — a difference of Rs 2,496/year due to professional tax alone.
Which salary levels are zero-tax in Chennai in FY 2025-26?
Under the new tax regime, all salaries up to Rs 12,75,000/year (Rs 12.75 lakh) are zero-tax in Chennai — and in every Indian city. The Section 87A rebate covers the full tax liability for taxable income up to Rs 12 lakh (gross salary Rs 12,75,000 after Rs 75,000 standard deduction). This includes Rs 3L, Rs 4L, Rs 5L, Rs 6L, Rs 7L, Rs 8L, Rs 9L, Rs 10L, Rs 11L salaries shown on this page.

Disclaimer: All figures are indicative for FY 2025-26. Standard assumptions: 50% basic salary, employee PF at 12% of basic, no additional Chapter VI-A deductions under new regime, standard deduction Rs 75,000. Actual tax and in-hand depend on exact salary structure and declared deductions. Not financial or tax advice.