Editorial standards
Last reviewed 2026-05-11
Samastam builds free tools for Indian users. Many of those tools touch tax, GST, business compliance, and personal finance — areas where the information has to be right. This page describes how we work, what we cite, and where our current limits are.
We are deliberately specific about these things because new sites in this space tend to be vague, and a vague site is a site that should not be trusted with your tax math.
How we research
- Primary sources only for regulated content. Tax slabs come from the Income Tax Act and CBDT circulars. GST rates and rules come from the GST Council, CBIC, and the GSTN portal. Banking and lending rules come from RBI master directions.
- Where we cite, we link to the official source on the same page as the tool that depends on it, with the date we last checked.
- We never copy tax math from another calculator. Formulas are written from the underlying Act or circular, with the reference noted in the source code.
- For non-regulated content (formatters, lookups, file conversion), we still cite the standards we follow (RFC numbers, IFSC format definitions, etc.).
What we update, and when
- Union Budget Day (1 February each year): all affected tax tools are updated within 24–72 hours of the speech, with a published change log.
- GST Council meetings (quarterly): rate and rule changes are reflected in GST tools within one week.
- RBI policy changes: EMI and loan tools are updated on the day of the announcement.
- Every tool page shows a visible “last updated” date that reflects the most recent meaningful review.
Honest current limits
We do not yet retain a chartered accountant or tax lawyer as a paid reviewer. Tools are written and maintained by the founding team. Until we add a CA reviewer, the following is true:
- Our tools are educational and informational. They are not personalised tax advice.
- For any decision with real money on the line — choosing a tax regime, planning capital gains, structuring a business — please consult a qualified CA.
- If you find a calculation or rule we got wrong, write to hello@samastam.xyz. Verified corrections are deployed the same day and credited on the page.
How we monetise
We are independent and run on three honest revenue sources:
- Affiliate links to services we would recommend anyway (payment gateways, current accounts, accounting software). These are clearly marked and never change the answer a calculator gives.
- Display advertising, placed so it never blocks a tool’s inputs or results.
- Samastam Pro — an optional paid tier for bulk operations, API access, and an ad-free experience.
We never recommend a partner because of the payout. If two affiliate partners exist for the same need, we recommend the one with the better product for the Indian user.
Corrections and complaints
Send any factual correction, broken link, or concern to hello@samastam.xyz. We read every message and respond within two working days.