Can a Salaried Employee Legally Pay Zero Income Tax on a ₹16 Lakh CTC?

For most salaried employees, tax planning begins with a simple assumption: “Higher salary means higher income tax.”“Once your salary crosses ₹12 lakh, paying income tax becomes inevitable.”“The new tax regime has taken away all deductions.”“There is very little scope for tax planning for salaried employees.” These assumptions were largely true under the conventional understanding of […]