Frequently Asked Questions
Platform-wide answers on browser privacy, statutory methodology, and direct links to calculator-specific FAQs across all 6 utility hubs.
General UtilAxis Questions
Are my salary, tax, and JSON inputs sent to any backend server?+
No. Every calculator and developer utility on UtilAxis executes 100% locally inside your web browser using JavaScript, TypeScript, and Web Crypto / Canvas APIs. We do not log, transmit, or store your financial figures, code payloads, or uploaded images on any server.
Which Indian tax year is used in the Income Tax and CTC calculators?+
Our tax and salary calculators support Tax Year 2026–27 (AY 2027–28) alongside prior financial years (FY 2025–26 and FY 2024–25), incorporating the ₹75,000 New Regime standard deduction, Section 87A rebate up to ₹12 lakh taxable income, marginal relief, and surcharge caps.
Why might my actual bank EMI or payslip differ slightly from calculator estimates?+
Banks and payroll systems may apply day-count conventions (actual/365 vs 30/360), broken-period interest from disbursement date to first EMI date, state-specific professional tax slabs, or company-specific PF wage ceilings. Use our tools for accurate baseline planning and verify final figures with your bank sanction letter or HR payroll sheet.
How does the 'Save to Workspace' feature store my bookmarks?+
When you bookmark a calculator or open recent tools, those slugs are saved exclusively in your browser's localStorage on your device. You can clear your saved history at any time from the My Workspace page.
Are the health and fitness calculators medical advice?+
No. Our BMI, BMR, Body Fat, Calorie, Protein, and Ideal Weight calculators implement peer-reviewed population equations (Mifflin-St Jeor, US Navy circumference, WHO Asian & International cutoffs) for educational wellness screening only. Always consult a qualified physician or dietitian before making clinical or dietary changes.
Can I use the developer and image utilities for confidential work files?+
Yes. Because JSON formatting, Base64/URL encoding, regex testing, hash generation, and image compression/conversion happen entirely inside your browser's memory without network uploads, confidential payloads never leave your machine.
Finance Calculators
Plan SIPs, Step-Up SIPs, SWP, STP, mutual fund returns, CAGR, ROI, home/car/personal loan EMIs, loan eligibility, FIRE, retirement, child education, and FY 2026–27 Indian income taxes.
EMI Calculator: How is loan EMI calculated?+
Loan EMI is computed using the standard reducing-balance formula based on loan principal, monthly interest rate (annual rate ÷ 12), and total months. Open EMI Calculator →
CAGR: What is a good CAGR for Indian equity mutual funds?+
Historically, diversified Indian equity funds have targeted 11%–14% over 7–10+ year horizons, though market returns are never guaranteed. Open CAGR →
Step-Up SIP: Why does a 10% annual step-up make such a big difference?+
As your income grows each year, stepping up your SIP channels incremental savings into compounding early, often doubling your final corpus over 15–20 years. Open Step-Up SIP →
MF Returns: Can I combine an existing mutual fund portfolio with a new monthly SIP?+
Yes. Enter your current mutual fund value as the initial lumpsum and your ongoing monthly contribution as the SIP. Open MF Returns →
SWP Calculator: What happens if my withdrawal rate exceeds the fund return?+
Your principal gradually depletes. If the balance reaches zero before your target horizon, the calculator flags the exact depletion month. Open SWP Calculator →
STP Calculator: Why use an STP instead of investing a lumpsum directly?+
An STP staggering deployment over 6–12 months reduces market-timing risk while your uninvested balance earns liquid-fund returns. Open STP Calculator →
Salary & Career Tools
Convert annual CTC to monthly in-hand salary, model appraisal hikes and increments, calculate performance bonuses, estimate EPF and gratuity payouts, and track experience, working days, and notice periods.
Experience: How is work experience counted for background verification (BGV)?+
HR teams match the exact Date of Joining and Last Working Day printed on your relieving and experience letters. Open Experience →
Notice Period: Is notice period buyout calculated on Basic Salary or Gross Salary?+
It depends on your appointment letter—some employers recover buyout on Basic salary while others calculate it on Gross monthly pay. Open Notice Period →
Take-Home Salary: Why is CTC higher than take-home salary?+
CTC includes employer contributions, variable pay and benefits in addition to the cash salary credited to you. Open Take-Home Salary →
Salary Hike: Why is take-home increase lower than CTC increase?+
A hike can increase tax, PF, gratuity provision or variable pay, so not all of the CTC increase becomes monthly cash. Open Salary Hike →
TDS: Why is my employer TDS different?+
Employers use declarations, proof submission status, payroll month, bonus timing, previous-employment income and rounding rules. Open TDS →
Gratuity: Is five years always required?+
Five completed years is the common threshold, but legal exceptions and employer policies can apply. Open Gratuity →
Developer Utilities
Format, beautify, minify, and validate JSON, encode/decode Base64, URLs, and HTML entities, test regex, generate UUIDs, SHA hashes, passwords, and Lorem Ipsum, build Cron schedules, convert timezones, and diff text locally.
JSON Formatter: Is it safe to paste production JSON payloads here?+
Yes. Formatting runs entirely in your browser and UtilAxis has no backend that receives it, so your JSON never leaves your browser tab. Open JSON Formatter →
JSON Validator: Why does JSON validation fail on trailing commas?+
Unlike JavaScript objects, the official JSON specification (RFC 8259) strictly forbids trailing commas after the last element in arrays or objects. Open JSON Validator →
Base64 Encoder: What is URL-Safe Base64?+
Standard Base64 uses '+' and '/' which have special meanings in URLs. URL-safe Base64 (RFC 4648 §5) replaces them with '-' and '_' and strips '=' padding. Open Base64 Encoder →
UUID Generator: Are UUID v4 values truly unique?+
Yes. Version 4 UUIDs contain 122 bits of cryptographic randomness—producing 5.3 × 10³⁶ possible identifiers. Open UUID Generator →
Regex Tester: What regex matches an Indian PAN card number?+
A standard 10-character Indian PAN follows the pattern ^[A-Z]{5}[0-9]{4}[A-Z]{1}$ (five uppercase letters, four digits, and one check letter). Open Regex Tester →
Password Gen: Are generated passwords ever sent over the internet?+
Never. Passwords are generated inside your device's browser memory using window.crypto.getRandomValues() and vanish as soon as you close the tab. Open Password Gen →
Image & File Tools
Compress images, resize dimensions, convert between JPG, PNG, and WebP, and calculate aspect ratios directly in your browser using HTML5 Canvas.
Image Compressor: Are my photos uploaded to a server during compression?+
No. File reading, resizing, and WebP/JPEG encoding happen entirely inside your device's browser memory. Open Image Compressor →
Image Resizer: What is the recommended OpenGraph social share image size?+
Standard OpenGraph and Twitter large summary cards perform best at 1200 × 630 pixels (roughly 1.91:1 aspect ratio). Open Image Resizer →
JPG to PNG: Why is a converted PNG sometimes larger than the original JPG?+
PNG uses lossless compression, whereas JPG uses lossy quantization. For web delivery, consider converting to WebP for smaller file sizes. Open JPG to PNG →
WebP Converter: Why does Google PageSpeed recommend WebP?+
WebP typically delivers 25%–35% smaller file sizes than comparable JPEG images and 26%+ smaller sizes than PNGs. Open WebP Converter →
Health & Fitness Calculators
Calculate Body Mass Index (BMI), Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), daily TDEE calorie targets, macro protein intake, ideal body weight, hydration needs, and US Navy body fat percentage.
BMI Calculator: Why does the Asian-Indian BMI cutoff differ from the WHO global standard?+
Clinical guidelines in India use 23.0 kg/m² as the overweight threshold (and 25.0 for obesity) because South Asian populations often experience cardiometabolic risk at lower BMI levels. Open BMI Calculator →
BMR & Calories: What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?+
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the energy your body burns at complete rest just to sustain vital organs. TDEE multiplies BMR by your activity level to estimate total daily calories burned. Open BMR & Calories →
Protein Calculator: Why is protein requirement higher during a fat-loss calorie deficit?+
Higher protein intake (1.8–2.2g/kg) during a calorie deficit protects lean muscle tissue from catabolism and increases satiety. Open Protein Calculator →
Ideal Weight: Which ideal weight formula is most widely used in medicine?+
The Devine formula (1974) is the most widely used clinical reference for height-based weight estimation. Open Ideal Weight →
Water Intake: Does coffee or tea count toward daily water intake?+
Moderate amounts contribute to net fluid intake, though plain water and electrolytes are best during heavy sweating. Open Water Intake →
Body Fat %: Why track body fat percentage alongside BMI?+
BMI cannot distinguish between fat mass and muscle mass. A muscular person may have an 'Overweight' BMI while maintaining a healthy 14% body fat level. Open Body Fat % →
Daily Utility Calculators
Solve everyday calculations fast: exact chronological age, date durations, work shift hours, percentage changes, shopping discounts, restaurant tip splits, Indian GST invoices, land/unit conversions, and INR currency conversions.
Age Calculator: Can I check my age as of a future exam or recruitment cutoff date?+
Yes. Change the 'Age as of date' field to any past or future cutoff date to verify exact eligibility. Open Age Calculator →
Percentage: How do I calculate percentage increase between old and new salary or price?+
Subtract the old value from the new value, divide by the old value, and multiply by 100. Enter both numbers in the bottom row for an instant answer. Open Percentage →
Discount: Why is 25% off + extra 10% off equal to 32.5% instead of 35%?+
The second 10% discount is applied to the remaining 75% of the price (10% of 75% = 7.5%), resulting in a combined 32.5% reduction. Open Discount →
Date Difference: When should I enable 'Include end date in count'?+
Enable it when both the start and end dates are inclusive (for example, counting leave days from Monday through Friday as 5 days rather than 4). Open Date Difference →
Tip Calculator: What if the restaurant bill already includes a 5% or 10% Service Charge?+
If a service charge is already included on the invoice, you can use this calculator to verify the exact amount and split the total evenly. Open Tip Calculator →
Time Duration: What are decimal hours on a freelance or consulting timesheet?+
Decimal hours express minutes as a fraction of 60—for example, 7 hours 45 minutes is entered as 7.75 hours for hourly billing. Open Time Duration →