At present, up to Rs. 250,000/-, there is no tax, as informed by Mr. Jeevarathnam. However, it will vary depending on the budget proposal of the central government every year. As of now, it is exempted up to Rs. 250,000/-.
Optimizing Tax-Free Salary Structure
Moreover, to provide a better and more effective tax-free salary for employees, the salary structure may be split into Basic, DA, Conveyance allowance, HRA, medical allowances, LTA, etc. The conveyance allowance up to Rs. 19,200/- per annum, HRA subject to certain conditions, medical allowance up to Rs. 15,000/- per annum, and LTA subject to certain specified conditions are exempted, in addition to the basic exemption of Rs. 250,000/-.
It is advisable to design your salary structure in a way that helps avoid tax deductions (TDS) legally and enables employees to receive more take-home pay.