Advance Tax Calculator
Estimate your advance tax for FY 2025-26 or FY 2024-25 and get the section 211 instalment schedule — how much to pay by 15 June, 15 September, 15 December and 15 March — net of the TDS already deducted.
What advance tax is, and why it matters
Advance tax is the "pay-as-you-earn" part of India's income-tax system: rather than paying your whole tax bill when you file, you pay it in instalments through the year as you earn. The law requires it of anyone whose tax for the year — after reducing TDS and TCS already collected — comes to ₹10,000 or more. Freelancers, consultants, investors with capital gains or dividend income, landlords, and business owners are the people most likely to owe it, because their income is not fully covered by an employer's salary TDS.
This calculator does two jobs. First it estimates your income tax for the year from the income and regime you enter, using the published slabs, the section 87A rebate, surcharge and the 4% health and education cess. Then it subtracts the TDS/TCS already deducted and splits the balance across the statutory instalments, so you know exactly how much to deposit by each due date.
The instalment schedule
Under section 211 the instalments are cumulative targets, not equal quarters: 15% of the year's tax by 15 June, 45% by 15 September, 75% by 15 December, and the full 100% by 15 March. So if your estimated advance tax for the year is ₹1,00,000, you should have paid ₹15,000 by 15 June, a cumulative ₹45,000 by 15 September (a ₹30,000 instalment), ₹75,000 by 15 December, and the whole ₹1,00,000 by 15 March. Taxpayers under the 44AD / 44ADA presumptive schemes are the exception — they pay the entire amount in one instalment by 15 March.
Interest for underpayment
Missing a target has a cost. Section 234C charges 1% per month on the shortfall in any instalment, and section 234B charges 1% per month if you pay less than 90% of your total tax by the end of the year. Neither is a penalty in the punitive sense, but the interest compounds across the year, so it pays to estimate carefully and revise as your income becomes clearer — advance tax is explicitly meant to be re-estimated during the year. If your income rises mid-year, top up at the next instalment; if it falls, reduce the later ones.
This is an estimate for general guidance, not tax advice. It does not model special-rate income such as capital gains in the tax figure — add those separately with the capital gains calculator. Confirm your numbers with a chartered accountant.
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Frequently asked questions
- Who has to pay advance tax?
- Any taxpayer — salaried, self-employed, freelancer, or business — whose total tax liability for the year, after reducing TDS and TCS already collected, is ₹10,000 or more must pay advance tax. Salaried people often have no advance tax because their employer's TDS covers it, but if you have significant income outside salary (capital gains, interest, rent, freelance income) you may owe advance tax on top. Resident senior citizens with no business or professional income are exempt.
- What are the advance tax due dates?
- Under section 211 the instalments are cumulative: at least 15% of your estimated tax by 15 June, 45% by 15 September, 75% by 15 December, and 100% by 15 March. Each date is a cumulative target, so the 15 September instalment is 45% of the year's tax minus whatever you already paid by 15 June.
- How is advance tax different for the 44AD / 44ADA presumptive scheme?
- Taxpayers under the presumptive schemes (section 44AD for small businesses, 44ADA for professionals) do not follow the four-instalment schedule. They pay the entire advance tax in a single instalment by 15 March. Tick the presumptive box in the calculator to see that single-instalment schedule.
- What happens if I miss an instalment?
- Interest is charged under section 234C for a shortfall in any instalment, and under section 234B if you pay less than 90% of your total tax by the end of the year — both at 1% per month (simple interest). Paying a little late or a little short is not a penalty as such, but the interest adds up, so it is worth hitting each cumulative target.
- How does this calculator estimate my tax?
- Enter your estimated annual income, choose the regime and financial year, and the tool computes your income tax using the published slabs, section 87A rebate, surcharge and 4% cess — the same engine as our income tax calculator. It then subtracts the TDS/TCS you tell it has already been deducted to arrive at the advance tax payable, and splits it across the instalments.
- Can I revise my advance tax during the year?
- Yes — advance tax is based on an estimate, and you are expected to revise it as your income becomes clearer. If your income rises, pay the extra at the next instalment; if it falls, you can reduce later instalments. Re-run this calculator with updated figures whenever your expected income changes.