HRA Exemption Calculator

Learn how to calculate HRA. Using online calculators for the calculation of HRA, you can figure out your tax-free HRA and pay your income tax accordingly.


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HRA chargeable to tax

₹ 0

50 % of Basic Salary

₹ 0

HRA received

₹ 0

Excess of Rent paid over 10 % of salary

₹ 0

Amount of Exempted HRA

₹ 0

The least of the following three amounts is taken into account for determining the House Rent Allowance (HRA) exemption in India: (1) Actual HRA received from the company; (2) Rent paid less than 10% of pay; (3) 50% or 40% of the salary for employees residing in rented housing (for non-metropolitan areas). Once determined, the exemption can be claimed when submitting income tax returns.

Introduction

Under the Income Tax Act, HRA is a taxable component of salary. Besides the basic wage and dearness allowance, the employer should provide HRA to cover the employee's rented housing and accommodation expenses. In addition to financial reasons, understanding salary structure helps with tax preparation. HRA is a component of salary that covers the cost of house rent. 

You can use the HRA exemption calculator to determine how much your HRA is taxable and tax-free. Individuals can also save on their tax costs by using the HRA exemption. Keep reading to learn more about the HRA calculation for FY 2023-24, the HRA calculation formula, and the examples.

Did You Know? You can simultaneously claim HRA for one property and pay Home Loan EMIs for purchasing another without issues.

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What Is HRA in the New Tax System?

The government recently introduced new tax structures for individuals who pay taxes. A significant difference exists between the new and previous systems. Most importantly, the new system will include only some exclusions or deductions from the prior regime. 

One is the House Rent Allowance (HRA) and the calculation of HRA in income tax. Therefore, you cannot claim the HRA deduction if you file your taxes under the new tax system. Consider opting for the old tax regime to avail of the HRA exemption.

What Is HRA Exemption Calculator?

You can calculate your HRA tax exemption online with many portals and services. An HRA calculator online in India is a quick and easy way to calculate this tax deduction component. Input your salary details into HRA calculators online, and they will calculate your HRA. Thus, you can avoid making mistakes when calculating HRA.

Eligibility to Avail of HRA Exemption

Salary employees may claim HRA exemptions when filing their taxes if the following factors apply:

  • You should be a salaried employee.
     
  • You must receive an HRA component from your employer each month.
     
  • House Rent Allowance tax benefits are only available if you pay rent.
     
  • This tax benefit is not available to self-employed individuals.

Under two conditions, homeowners can benefit from HRA exemptions and tax benefits on interest and home mortgage payments.

  • HRA may still apply if you own a rented property but do not receive the rent yourself (perhaps a family member gets the rent on your behalf).
     
  • Additionally, you can receive HRA benefits if you own a property in a city other than where you live.

HRA Tax Exemption – Required Documents to Claim

You must submit the following documents as proof of HRA exemption for income tax.

1. Detailed rent receipts with the following information

Date, Tenant's name, landlord's name, Landlord PAN details, Rental accommodation address, Stay duration, and rent receipt with revenue stamp signed by the landlord.

Your office's HR department may require these documents. The tax department may require these proofs if you claim exemption from HRA under Section 80GG of the Income Tax Act.

2. PAN Details

If you pay more than ₹1,000,000 in rent each year, you must provide the landlord's PAN number and a copy. The landlord must provide you with a self-attested declaration form if they do not have a PAN card.

3. Rental Agreement Details

You may also need a rental agreement photocopy.

Similarly, if you pay rent to your family members, such as your parents, you must provide proof. You may also require to submit copies of bank statements as proof of financial transactions.

How to Calculate HRA Exemption?

Several factors go into calculating HRA, as mentioned above. Listed below are the HRA exemption calculation for salaried employees and self-employed.

1. For Salaried Employees

You can, however, only claim the lowest HRA tax exemption among these three provisions:

  1. The amount of HRA your employer pays you.
     
  2. Taking the actual rent you pay for housing and subtracting 10% from your basic salary.
     
  3. The HRA percentage of basic salary in India differs from metro to non-metro cities. In metro cities, you get 50% of your basic salary as HRA. In non-metro cities, you get 40% of your basic salary.

Salary in point 3 refers to your basic salary plus any dearness allowances and commissions you may receive. HRA deductions do not consider any other allowances. HRA deductions are computed by calculating the above three factors and claiming the lowest amount.

2. For self-employed and don't receive HRA

In the case of self-employed professionals or those whose compensation does not include a House Rent Allowance (HRA), you do not need to worry. 

You can still claim House Rent Allowance (HRA) if you pay rent. Salary and self-employed employees who do not receive HRA may claim rental housing exemptions as per Income Tax Act 1961 Section 80 GG.

Among the following, you can claim the lowest amount:

  • The actual rent was paid after deducting 10% of the total income for the year.
     
  • 25% of your total annual income.
     
  • The monthly HRA exemption is Rs. 5000, as per HRA rules

Also Read: Salary Calculator 2020-21 - Take Home Salary Calculator India

HRA Exemption - Formula to Calculate with Example

The HRA calculation example will help you fully understand the HRA calculation formula. Neha Sharma works for a multinational corporation in Mumbai. The rent for her apartment is ₹10,000 per month. The monthly salary structure for her is as follows:

Salary Component

Amount

Basic pay

₹30,000

HRA

₹13000

Allowances

₹7900

Provident fund

₹3600

Total salary

₹54500

The HRA formula gives Ms Sharma the following results:

  • HRA of ₹1,56,000 sanctioned by her employer (13,000 X 12 = 1,56,000).
     
  • The actual rent paid per year is ₹1,20,000. HRA calculation based on actual rent subtracted from 10% of basic pay brings her to 84,000 (₹10,000 X 12 - ₹36,000 = 84,000).
     
  • As she lives in a metropolis, 50% of her basic salary is ₹180,000.

She can claim a tax exemption for HRA as low as ₹84,000 among the three. To avoid confusion, you can calculate your HRA deduction online using HRA exemption calculators.

HRA Exemption Calculation for Some Special Classes

HRA calculation may involve some exceptional cases. Sometimes, you may own a home in a city different from where you work. You may pay rent to your parents. You can calculate HRA exemption for these items as follows:

1. Own a House in Another City

Despite living and working in a different city, you can claim HRA if you own a house there. You can also avail of a tax deduction if you pay the EMIs on your own home. Section 10 (13A) of the Act applies to HRA exemption rules. The only thing you'll need to do is provide appropriate proof for each.

2. Paying Rent to Family Members

It is possible to claim an HRA deduction even for rent paid to family members. Providing proof of rental transactions allows you to claim HRA exemption if you live with your parents.

Rent receipts, rental agreements, financial transaction proof, etc., will qualify as HRA exemptions as long as they are attached to your rental agreement. If you own the property, you cannot claim this benefit. You cannot claim the HRA exemptions on your spouse's property.

3. For Persons Paying Home Loans EMIs

While living and working in one city, you can build your own home in another. In this case, you can deduct the house loan interest and claim the House Rent Allowance (HRA). Besides that, you can also deduct the principal amount of your mortgage payment.

How to Use HRA Calculator Online?

It is time-consuming and problematic to determine your HRA deduction manually. Thankfully, finding a good HRA exemption calculator for 2023-24 is relatively straightforward.

The steps below will guide you through determining your HRA benefits once you find such a tool.

Step 1: Go to the calculator page.

Step 2: Enter the amount of your salary, dearness allowance, HRA, and rent in the appropriate fields.

Step 3: In the next step, select whether you live in a city near a metropolitan area or outside of one.

Step 4: Double-check your data once more to ensure it is accurate.

Step 5: Click "calculate."

By following these five steps, you should know exactly how much tax exemption you are eligible for when filing your tax return at the end of the year. An HRA calculator may include sliders instead of fields in some cases. Despite this, the functionality remains unchanged.

HRA Exemption Calculator Advantages

An online HRA calculation will benefit those who receive an HRA through their jobs. You can calculate your House Rent Allowance (HRA) and taxes by understanding how HRA is calculated. 

Some of the benefits include:

  • It is an entirely error-free calculator.
     
  • You can use the HRA exemption calculator as often as you want and use the computations to claim tax exemptions.
     
  • During the HRA computation, the calculator takes into account all factors.
     
  • You can claim House Rent Allowance based on where you live (metro or non-metro cities). Comparatively, 'Slab X' cities are more expensive, while 'Slab Y' and 'Slab Z' cities are less expensive.
     
  • The HRA exemption calculator calculates how much tax you'll pay in a financial year.
     
  • By calculating your HRA percentage, you can easily prepare for the future.

Also Read: Special Allowances in India- Taxation and Calculation

Conclusion

Knowing what HRA is and how it works for salaried and self-employed individuals, you can utilise it to its full potential to save taxes. Plan your HRA and other tax-saving investments well before the assessment period to maximise your exemptions and deductions.

Doing so allows you to maximise your tax benefits possible fully. Living in tier 1 or 2 cities can be a challenge, particularly for those dealing with high rental costs. You can save much of your hard-earned money by understanding HRA benefits and other tax-saving investment benefits.

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Frequently Asked Questions

I forgot to turn in my rent receipts to my boss. What is the procedure for claiming the HRA tax advantage now?

According to this instance, you can claim the House Rent Allowance (HRA) tax benefit when you file your income tax returns. Keep your evidence of rent payment available, as you may be required to present these documents to the Income Tax Department to verify your claim.


Is it possible to seek a tax exemption on HRA?

No, not everyone is eligible for a tax exemption on HRA. Even though included in most employees' salaries, the exemption is only available to those who pay rent. Self-employed people are also not eligible for the HRA exemption.


Is it possible to have a tax break on HRA and a deduction for house loan interest at the same time?

Yes, this is a possibility. You could be renting a home in one city while owning a home in another (for which you are repaying a home loan).


Can I use the HRA tax exemption to pay a family member's rent?

If you pay rent to your parents, you can claim a tax exemption on HRA. You should, however, have enough paperwork to serve as verification of this transaction.


Although House Rent Allowance (HRA) is not included in my paycheck, I live in rental housing. Is there any way to get a tax break?

If a person pays rent for an unfurnished or furnished house, they can deduct the rent paid (under Section 80 (GG) of the Income Tax Act). For this, they should submit Form 10B.


Can the maintenance fees I pay for my apartment be used to qualify for HRA tax relief?

No, HRA exemption is only available for rent paid. You won't be able to deduct maintenance or electricity costs from your taxes. These fees are also not taken into account when calculating the landlord's income tax.


Is it possible to claim a tax exemption for anyone?

Not everyone is eligible for HRA. It is only available to salaried people who have to pay rent. In addition, the HRA exemption does not apply to self-employed individuals.


Is it possible to get a tax rebate and a tax exemption on my home loan?

You can usually claim a tax deduction on HRA and home loan payments. For example, you may have rented a house in another city while repaying a home loan in another town. You can get a tax break on House Rent Allowance (HRA) for the rent during this situation. You can also deduct your home loan repayments from your taxes.


My house is in the process of being built, so I've rented another place in the same city. Can I claim HRA exemption?

If your house is being built and you are renting it, you are eligible for the HRA exemption.


What proof do I need that I've paid my rent?

Receipts for rent paid in the previous fiscal year are acceptable. If you don't have the receipts, you'll need to provide financial papers to verify that you've paid your rent.


Can I receive HRA tax relief if my landlord is a non-resident?

Yes, but just 30% TDS is applicable. 


How do I add HRA to Form 16 if I forget?

Employees can claim refunds on excess tax deductions by claiming the same during Income Tax Return filing even if the employers forget to add HRA in form 16.

 


Can I claim HRA without rental receipts?

Yes, You can claim HRA without rental receipts if the monthly rent is up to Rs 3000.


What if my landlord doesn't have a PAN?

If your landlord doesn't have a PAN, a signed declaration from such a landlord will suffice.


Is it possible to claim HRA benefits for multiple properties?

The HRA benefits are only available on one property, regardless of whether you rent more than one. Therefore, renting more properties does not result in more tax savings.