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Sensai
The most-published, least-read document in the country — the Union Budget for FY 2025-26 — turned into the one question you actually care about: where does your money go? Every rupee in, every rupee out, and your own income taxmapped onto national spending. Grounded in the government's own Budget at a Glance.
The Budget
The whole Budget scaled down to a single rupee — where it comes from, where it goes, and who moved up or down this year.
Four numbers that frame everything below — the size of the Budget and the gap it runs.
As of FY 2025-26 (Budget Estimates) · Union Budget 2025-26 — Budget at a Glance
The government's own chart, in paise per rupee — the biggest single line is money it borrows.
As of FY 2025-26 (Budget Estimates) · Union Budget 2025-26 — Budget at a Glance
India’s 2025‑26 budget shows that the government’s money mainly comes from three sources: borrowings (24 paise per rupee), income tax (22 paise), and GST and other taxes (18 paise). Together, these three categories provide the bulk of the finance needed to cover the ₹5,065,345 crore total expenditure. The remaining 12 paise per rupee come from corporation tax, non‑tax receipts, excise duties, customs, and non‑debt capital receipts. A substantial share of the total is borrowed, not earned.
Money the government borrows to cover the gap between what it earns and spends — tomorrow's taxpayers repay it with interest.
Interest on past debt and the states' constitutional share take a huge slice before anything reaches a scheme.
As of FY 2025-26 (Budget Estimates) · Union Budget 2025-26 — Budget at a Glance
When the government collects taxes, the money is allocated as follows: 22 paise out of every rupee goes to the states for their expenses like roads, schools, police, and healthcare services. 20 paise goes towards paying interest on the country's past debt. This leaves about 58 paise for all other expenses, including national development projects, subsidies, pensions, and administration costs.
The Constitution mandates a slice of central taxes be handed straight to state governments.
The biggest ministry budgets, each with its move versus last year's Budget Estimate.
Largest single ministry; roughly a quarter is pensions.
National highway building — a big share of the capex push.
Includes MGNREGA rural jobs and rural roads & housing.
You
The abstract lakh-crores made personal: what you actually pay, and where the government sends it.
Enter your income. We compute the tax you actually pay under the new regime, then split it across the Budget's own spending heads.
Split in the Budget's own proportions, your ₹1,50,800 of income tax maps onto national spending like this:
Roughly ₹57,304 of your income tax goes to services the Centre delivers directly — its own schemes, shared schemes, subsidies and defence. The rest services past debt or is passed to the states. New-regime tax including 4% cess; deductions beyond the standard one are ignored. Splits as of FY 2025-26 (Budget Estimates).
Learn
Ask anything about how the Budget works, then test what stuck.
Deficits, devolution, subsidies, taxes — explained in plain English. Neutral and non-political; it teaches, it won't take sides.
Six questions on the concepts on this page. Did they stick?
In the Union Budget's own 'rupee comes from' chart, what is the single largest source?
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What individuals pay on their salaries and other income — the single largest tax head now.
The Goods & Services Tax you pay on almost everything you buy, plus smaller taxes.
Tax on company profits.
Dividends from public-sector firms and the RBI, spectrum fees, interest on loans the government has made.
Mostly the duty on petrol and diesel — a tax you pay at the pump.
Duty on imported goods.
Loan recoveries and disinvestment — selling stakes in public-sector companies.
Interest on all the borrowing of past years — the single biggest spending head, and it buys nothing new.
Programmes the Centre runs and funds entirely on its own.
Programmes the Centre and states jointly fund and run.
Grants to states and local bodies as recommended by the Finance Commission.
The armed forces — salaries, equipment and modernisation (pensions are counted separately below).
The government absorbing part of the price of essentials so you pay less.
Pensions for retired government and defence personnel.
Everything else — running ministries, grants, and other transfers.
Track, rolling stock and safety; near-flat this year.
Central police forces, borders and the Union Territories.
PM-KISAN cash transfers, crop insurance and support.
Schools and higher education combined.
Ayushman Bharat, hospitals and public-health programmes.