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HRA Exemption Calculator

Find out how much of your House Rent Allowance is actually tax-free under Section 10(13A).

Applies only under the Old Tax Regime. If you're on the new regime, HRA exemption doesn't apply — your salary is taxed on the gross amount instead.
Enter figures as
City type

Metro = Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai (50% of basic limit). All other cities count as non-metro (40% of basic limit).

HRA exempt from tax — annual

₹2,16,000

90% of the HRA you receive

The three conditions — least applies

1. Actual HRA received₹2,40,000
2. Rent paid − 10% of basic₹2,16,000
3. 50% of basic (metro)₹2,40,000
Exempt from tax₹2,16,000
Still taxable as salary₹24,000

How your exemption changes with rent

Rent paidExempt from tax (annual)
₹10k/mo₹72,000
₹15k/mo₹1,32,000
₹20k/mo₹1,92,000
₹25k/mo₹2,40,000
₹30k/mo₹2,40,000
₹40k/mo₹2,40,000
₹50k/mo₹2,40,000

How the HRA exemption is actually calculated

Section 10(13A) exempts the LEAST of three amounts — not all of your HRA, and not automatically the full rent you pay either:

Exempt HRA = MIN(actual HRA received, rent paid − 10% of basic, 50% or 40% of basic)

The third condition is why city matters: employees in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, or Chennai get a 50%-of-basic ceiling, while everyone else is capped at 40%. Whatever HRA isn't exempt under these rules still gets taxed as regular salary income.

This only helps you if you're on the old tax regime — the new regime doesn't offer this exemption at all, so if you've moved to the new regime, this calculator's result becomes purely informational rather than something you can actually claim.

Frequently asked questions

No. The exemption is tied to actual rent paid — if you live rent-free (e.g. with family, in your own home) you can't claim HRA exemption even if your salary includes an HRA component.