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HRA exemption calculator

Your house rent allowance is only partly tax-free. The exempt slice is the least of three figures — your HRA, your rent above 10% of salary, and 50% or 40% of salary. This works out all three and shows which one caps you.

Monthly figures

Salary for HRA means basic pay plus dearness allowance only.

Only rent above 10% of salary counts towards the exemption.

Metro cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai) use 50% of salary; everywhere else 40%.

HRA exempt from tax · per year

₹1,56,000

₹13,000 a month · taxable HRA ₹84,000 a year


HRA actually received₹20,000
Rent − 10% of salary₹13,000
50% of salary₹25,000

Exempt (least of the three)₹13,000
Taxable HRA (per month)₹7,000
The exemption is the least of the three figures above — the highlighted row is the one setting your limit. Figures are monthly; the headline annualises the exempt amount.
HRA exemption applies only under the old regime. If you file under the new regime, the whole HRA is taxable and this exemption is not available.

This is one salary, one city, one year.

Taxlabs keeps your HRA proof in order all year — rent receipts, agreement and landlord PAN filed as you go, ready when the return is due.

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Frequently asked

How is the HRA exemption calculated?

It is the least of three figures: the HRA you actually receive; the rent you pay minus 10% of your salary (basic + DA); and 50% of salary if you live in a metro, 40% if you do not. Whichever is smallest is the exempt amount; the rest of your HRA is taxable. The calculator highlights which of the three is setting your limit.

What counts as a metro for HRA?

Only Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are metros for this rule, and they use 50% of salary. Every other city — including Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune — uses 40%. It is a fixed statutory list, not a question of city size.

Can I claim HRA under the new tax regime?

No. The HRA exemption under section 10(13A) is available only under the old regime. If you opt for the new regime, your entire house rent allowance is taxable and this calculation does not apply.

Can I claim HRA if I pay rent to my parents?

Yes, provided the arrangement is genuine — you actually pay the rent, ideally by bank transfer, and your parents own the home and report the rent as income in their own return. Keep a rent agreement and receipts; this is an area the department scrutinises.

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