Cohort26 becomes your payroll consulting partner. We use our own HRMS platform to process your payroll every month — salary, taxes, PF, ESI, EDLI, PT, gratuity — so you never have to think about compliance again.
Most payroll tools hand you a dashboard and say "figure it out." Cohort26 is different. We assign a dedicated payroll consultant to your company who uses the Cohort26 HRMS platform to manage your entire payroll operation — from salary calculation to compliance filing.
| Contribution | Employee | Employer | Wage Base | Wage Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPF (Provident Fund) | 12% | 3.67% | Basic + DA | ₹15,000 (new joiners) |
| EPS (Pension) | — | 8.33% | Basic + DA | ₹15,000 cap |
| EDLI (Life Insurance) | — | 0.50% | Basic + DA | ₹7 lakh nominee cover |
| ESI (State Insurance) | 0.75% | 3.25% | Gross wages | ≤ ₹21,000/month |
| Professional Tax (PT) | Slab-based | — | Gross wages | State-specific |
| Gratuity | — | 15/26 × last Basic × years | Last drawn Basic+DA | Max ₹20 lakh |
New in 2026: Basic + DA must be ≥ 50% of CTC. Allowances exceeding 50% are added back to the wage base for PF, ESI, and gratuity. Full & final settlement within 2 working days of exit.
Illustrative: ₹6,00,000 CTC employee under the 2026 wage code (50% basic rule).
| Basic + DA (50% of CTC) | ₹25,000 |
| HRA | ₹12,500 |
| Special Allowance | ₹8,500 |
| Conveyance / LTA | ₹4,000 |
| Gross Salary | ₹50,000 |
| EPF Employee (12% of ₹25k) | ₹3,000 |
| ESI Employee (N/A > ₹21k) | — |
| Professional Tax (Haryana) | ₹200 |
| TDS (auto old vs new regime) | ₹1,800 |
| Net Take-Home | ₹45,000 |
Plus employer cost: EPF ₹3,000 · EPS (within ₹15k cap) included · EDLI ₹75 · Gratuity accrual ₹1,202/mo · Total CTC ~₹54,277
A simple, transparent process. You stay in control while we handle the heavy lifting every single month.
Upload employee master via Excel or CSV. We map your fields to the system.
Configure CTC components with the 50% basic rule auto-applied. PF, ESI, PT rules loaded per state.
Set accrual rules for EL / CL / SL / ML / PL / CO. Configure approval chains.
Live walkthrough with your HR & finance team. Parallel run with last month's payroll for verification.
We run your first payroll alongside your team. Challans generated, TDS computed, payslips mailed.
Zero setup fees · Parallel run with your existing payroll
Everything payroll, powered by the Cohort26 HRMS platform. You review and approve — we do the rest.
Monthly computation — 50% wage rule applied, CTC components auto-split. Salary slips with full earnings & deduction breakdown for every employee.
EPF, EPS, EDLI, ESI, Professional Tax — all calculated and reconciled. Challans and ECRs generated. Filing reminders sent. Nothing missed.
Old vs new regime auto-compared per employee. Section 80C, 80D, HRA, LTA handled. Form 16 & 24Q auto-generated.
Your company gets the complete platform — attendance, leave management, shift rosters, reports, and mobile app. Six modules included.
Employees view payslips, declare tax exemptions, download Form 16, check leave balances, and apply for time off — from their phone.
Your questions reach a human who owns the answer. Not a chatbot, not a ticket queue — direct access to the team that built the platform.
Full payroll consulting + HRMS platform included. All six modules. No hidden add-on fees.
Payroll isn't just software. It's compliance, deadlines, accuracy, and employee trust.
You don't need to learn PF/ESI calculations or TDS slabs. Your consultant handles the 2026 compliance stack — you just approve.
Late PF filing = 12% p.a. interest + 25% damages. Wrong TDS = notices. Your consultant ensures every statutory deadline is met.
A payroll specialist costs ₹40,000-80,000/month. Cohort26 starts at ₹499 per employee — with the full HRMS platform included.
Hiring 10 more people? Opening a new office in another state? Your consultant handles the payroll changes, state-specific PT, and compliance.
| Task | Manual / Excel today | With Cohort 26 |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly PF/ESI calculation | 4–8 hours, formula-error risk | Auto-computed per employee |
| Challan / ECR generation | Manual EPFO/ESIC portal entry | One-click download & upload |
| 50% wage-rule CTC audit | Employee-by-employee review | Dashboard flag + auto-fix |
| Leave balance tracking | Shared Google Sheet, disputes | Real-time self-service portal |
| TDS & Form 16 | CA dependency, June–July rush | Auto-generated, downloadable |
| Full & final (48-hr rule) | 30–45 day delay, penalty risk | Computed in minutes |
| Inspection / audit | Days of searching files | Complete audit trail on demand |
Your dedicated Cohort26 consultant processes your payroll every month using the Cohort26 HRMS platform. They calculate salaries (with the 2026 50% basic rule applied), compute EPF, EPS, EDLI, ESI, PT, TDS, generate payslips, prepare challans and ECRs, and handle any mid-month changes. You review and approve — they do the work.
Yes. You get full access to the Cohort26 HRMS platform with all six modules — payroll, attendance, leave management, shift rosters, reports, and mobile app. Your consultant uses the same platform, so you have complete visibility into everything.
Traditional payroll outsourcing is a black box — you send data, they send payslips, you have no visibility. With Cohort26, you get the platform and the consultant. You can see every calculation, every report, every compliance status in real time. Full transparency.
No problem. Since everything runs on the Cohort26 HRMS, you can transition to self-service anytime. Your data stays on the platform, your team gets trained, and you continue with just the HRMS subscription. No lock-in.
We calculate all statutory deductions — EPF, EPS, EDLI, ESI, Professional Tax, TDS — and prepare challans and ECRs. Filing is done by your authorized signatory using the data we provide. We send reminders and ensure every deadline is met under the 2026 compliance rules.
7 days to go live, first payroll in 14. Your consultant imports employee data, configures CTC structures with the 50% basic rule, sets up leave policies and approval workflows, runs a parallel payroll for verification, and then processes your first live payroll.
No. Month-to-month billing. Cancel anytime. If you leave, we export all your payroll data and employee records in standard formats.
Book a 15-minute call. We'll understand your payroll setup and show you how the partnership works — compliance stack, worked payslip example, and all.
Book a demo