‘My Maid’s Family Earns ₹1.3 Lakh Tax-Free’: Viral Reddit Post Sparks Debate on Who Truly Belongs to the Middle Class in India
'My Maid’s Family Earns ₹1.3 Lakh Tax-Free': Viral Reddit Post Sparks Debate on Who Truly Belongs to the Middle Class in India
As informal incomes rise and salaried professionals shoulder growing tax burdens, a viral post questions the evolving definition of India’s middle class.
A Reddit post by a user from a tier-3 city has ignited a fresh debate on India’s economic class system after the user claimed that their maid’s household earns more than their own salaried family, entirely tax-free. The post, grounded in actual earnings, left readers questioning: in the current landscape of rising inflation and taxation, who really qualifies as “middle class”?
The Redditor shared that their long-time domestic help earns ₹30,000 per month working across three homes. Her husband, a daily wage laborer, contributes ₹35,000. Their eldest son earns ₹30,000 at a saree shop. Meanwhile, their daughter, still training in tailoring, currently brings in ₹3,000 with the potential to make ₹15,000–₹20,000 soon. The youngest son, in plumbing training, is expected to add another ₹15,000–₹25,000 to the household income.
The family’s current income stands at ₹98,000 per month, and is projected to reach ₹1.3–₹1.35 lakh soon. None of it is taxed. Moreover, the family benefits from free rations via government schemes, pays a modest rent of ₹6,000, owns a home in their native village under a central scheme, and plans to lease inherited land for ₹30,000–₹40,000 per quarter.
“I’m genuinely happy for her,” the Redditor wrote. “She’s worked hard all her life. But it does make you wonder, who really belongs to the middle class now?”
The post attracted wide attention, sparking opinions from both sides. Many agreed that informal sector workers today often earn more than tax-paying, salaried professionals without deductions or paperwork. One user commented, “The roadside panipuri seller easily earns as much as I do. But I’m in an AC office while he toils in the sun. I pay my taxes and daydream about owning a panipuri stall.”
Others called out the post’s flawed comparison. “You’re comparing the combined income of five working adults to a single salaried income. That’s not a fair comparison,” one user noted.
Still, the broader concern remains relevant. With salaried employees grappling with rising taxes, zero subsidies, housing costs, and inflation, many feel squeezed despite steady jobs. At the same time, informal sector workers, while lacking job security and social benefits, often retain higher net take-home income.
The viral post captures a growing unease in India’s middle class—a class that feels increasingly burdened by taxes and excluded from welfare schemes. In a country where wealth and opportunity are unevenly distributed, the definition of “middle class” may now depend less on job type, and more on how income is earned and whether it’s taxed.
