Published Paper Details:

This research evaluates how personal tax planning methods directly alter the long-term wealth growth of salaried employees. Gathering field data from a sample group of 60 working professionals, the study tracks the real-world choices individuals make when picking between quick tax breaks and growing their actual net worth. The empirical findings show a major behavioral gap: even though 80% of workers state that long-term asset building is their top financial goal, their current portfolios are heavily locked into low-yield, traditional fixed-income accounts rather than high-growth, market-linked tax instruments. The primary cause is psychological, as 73.3% of respondents admit that a fear of short-term market volatility completely stalls their investment choices. Additionally, a structural shift is taking place, with 85% of professionals moving to the simplified New Tax Regime. While this choice optimizes monthly take-home pay, it removes the forced saving guardrails built into the older system. The study concludes that true wealth maximization cannot happen through passive tax filing alone. Earners must move past safe, defensive habits and use strict personal discipline to automatically channel their monthly tax savings directly into compounding investment engines.