For Kerala’s salaried workforce—teachers in Thrissur, IT engineers in Kochi, bankers in Trivandrum—income-tax filing may feel like a yearly ritual of copying figures from Form 16. Yet most employees leave thousands of rupees unclaimed because they miss deductions, choose the wrong tax regime, or overlook TDS mismatches. This guide unpacks every strategy to boost your refund and shows how OurTaxPartner.com makes filing effortless.
1 · Understand Your Form 16—and Beyond
Form 16 gives only a snapshot of salary income and TDS. Always reconcile it with:
- Form 26AS & AIS: Ensure your bank and dividend TDS also reflect correctly.
- Investment proofs not submitted to HR: You can still claim them while e-filing.
2 · Standard Deduction and Exempt Allowances
All salaried taxpayers automatically get the ₹50,000 standard deduction. In addition:
- House-Rent Allowance (HRA): Exempt portion = least of (actual HRA, 40 % of basic for non-metro/50 % for metro, or rent paid minus 10 % of basic). Keep rent receipts & landlord PAN (>₹1 lakh annual rent).
- Leave-Travel Allowance (LTA): Two journeys in a 4-year block within India. Submit travel proofs even if HR missed them; you can claim via revised payroll or during return filing.
- Children’s Education Allowance: ₹100 per child per month (max 2 children).
3 · Optimise Deductions under Chapter VI-A
| Section | Deduction | Max Limit (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| 80C | PF, PPF, ELSS, tuition fees, life-insurance premia | 1,50,000 |
| 80CCD(1B) | NPS Tier-I (extra over 80C) | 50,000 |
| 80D | Health-insurance premia (self & family) | 25,000 (50,000 if parents senior) |
| 80TTB/80TTA | Savings-account interest (senior/others) | 50,000 / 10,000 |
| 80E | Education-loan interest (8 yrs) | No limit |
| 80G | Approved donations | 50 % or 100 % |
4 · New Regime vs Old Regime: Which Saves More?
The new tax regime (115BAC) offers lower slab rates but no deductions (except NPS employer share & standard deduction from FY 2023-24). Use these rules:
- If your total deductions exceed roughly ₹2.5 lakh, the old regime is usually better.
- Young employees without loans or large investments often pay less under the new regime.
- Run both scenarios in your e-filing utility; OurTaxPartner auto-calculates the optimal choice.
5 · Claim Interest on Housing Loan Smartly
- Self-Occupied Property: Deduction up to ₹2 lakh under Section 24(b).
- Let-Out Property: Full interest allowed, but set-off cap on loss ₹2 lakh; balance carries forward 8 yrs.
- Submit interest certificate from your bank; include principal in 80C.
6 · Tax-Saving Investments Still Possible After 31 March
Late proof submission? You can invest in back-dated PPF/ELSS up to 31 July (return due date) and claim 80C in the same FY, provided payment date is before 31 March.
7 · Avoid Common Filing Errors
- Incorrect bank account for refund—causes months-long delays.
- Forgetting to disclose exempt income (PF interest, dividend ≤₹10 lakh).
- Mismatch between salary in ITR and Form 16 Part B.
- Not e-verifying within 30 days—return treated as null.
8 · Why Choose OurTaxPartner.com?
OurTaxPartner.com offers:
- Form 16 to ITR Automation: Auto-import of Part A & B.
- Deduction Maximiser: Algorithm checks 60+ deduction fields.
- Regime Optimiser: Compares new vs old regime in seconds.
- TDS & AIS Reconciliation: Eliminates notices for mismatch.
- Advance-Tax Alerts: Quarterly emails so you never incur 234B/C interest.
- DSC/e-Verify Support: Instant verification—no postal ITR-V.
Conclusion
Salaried employees in Kerala can and should maximise refunds by leveraging every allowance, deduction, and regime benefit. Precise filing keeps your hard-earned money working for you rather than locked in government coffers.
Ready for a bigger refund with zero headaches? File with OurTaxPartner.com—Kerala’s trusted partner for smart, accurate, and maximised income-tax returns.
