All about Salary Income under Income Tax

Sections 15,16 & 17 of the Income Tax Act deals with Salary Income. We shall be discussing each Section in simple form here.

​First, we take section 15 of the Income Tax Act which reads as :

"15. The following income shall be chargeable to income tax under the head "Salaries"

​(a) any salary due from an employer or a former employer to an assessee in the previous year, whether paid or not;

​(b) any salary paid or allowed to him in the previous year by or on behalf of an employer or a former employer though not due or before it became due to him;

(c) any arrears of salary paid or allowed to him in the previous year by or on behalf of an employer or a former employer, if not charged to income tax for any earlier previous year.

​Explanation 1.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that where any salary paid in advance is included in the total income of any person for any previous year it shall not be included again in the total income of the person when the salary becomes due.

​Explanation 2.—Any salary, bonus, commission or remuneration, by whatever name called, due to, or received by, a partner of a firm from the firm shall not be regarded as "salary" for the purposes of this section."

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​From the above Section, the following points emerge :

1. Salary is taxable on an accrual basis i.e. whether you have received the salary or not, the same is taxable if it is accrued in that particular year.

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2. Also if any salary is paid in advance, the same is chargeable to tax in the year in which it is received irrespective of the fact whether the same became due or not. However the same will not be chargeable again in the year of accrual.

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3. Any arrear of salary received is chargeable to tax in the year in which it is received.

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4. The remuneration received by the partner of the firm will not be regarded as Salary.

​Now we take Section 16 of the Income Tax Act which reads as :

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"Deductions from salaries.

16. The income chargeable under the head "Salaries" shall be computed after making the following deductions, namely:—

(ia) a deduction of [fifty thousand] rupees or the amount of the salary, whichever is less;

​(ii) a deduction in respect of any allowance in the nature of an entertainment allowance specifically granted by an employer to the assessee who is in receipt of a salary from the Government, a sum equal to one-fifth of his salary (exclusive of any allowance, benefit or other perquisite) or five thousand rupees, whichever is less;

(iii) a deduction of any sum paid by the assessee on account of a tax on employment within the meaning of clause (2) of article 276 of the Constitution, leviable by or under any law."

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The following points emerge from the above section :

​1. A standard deduction of Rs.50000 is allowed from the Salary Income from Asstt. yr. 2020-21 onwards.

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2. Any employment tax is allowed as a deduction from the salary

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3. For Govt. employees, 1/5th of their salary or Rs.5000 is allowed as a deduction who receive any Entertainment allowance.

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Now we take section 17 of the Income Tax Act which reads as under :

​"Salary", "perquisite" and "profits in lieu of salary" are defined.

17. For the purposes of sections 15 and 16 and of this section,—

(1) "salary" includes—

(i) wages;

(ii) any annuity or pension;

(iii) any gratuity;

(iv) any fees, commissions, perquisites, or profits in lieu of or in addition to any salary or wages;

(v) any advance of salary;

(va) any payment received by an employee in respect of any period of leave not availed of by him;

(vi) the annual accretion to the balance at the credit of an employee participating in a recognized provident fund, to the extent to which it is chargeable to tax under rule 6 of Part A of the Fourth Schedule;

(vii) the aggregate of all sums that are comprised in the transferred balance as referred to in sub-rule (2) of rule 11 of Part A of the Fourth Schedule of an employee participating in a recognized provident fund, to the extent to which it is chargeable to tax under sub-rule (4) thereof; and

(viii) the contribution made by the Central Government or any other employer in the previous year, to the account of an employee under a pension scheme referred to in section 80CCD;

(2) "perquisite" includes—

(i) the value of rent-free accommodation provided to the assessee by his employer;

(ii) the value of any concession in the matter of rent respecting any accommodation provided to the assessee by his employer;

Explanation 1.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, concession in the matter of rent shall be deemed to have been provided if,—

(a) in a case where an unfurnished accommodation is provided by any employer other than the Central Government or any State Government and—

(i) the accommodation is owned by the employer, the value of the accommodation determined at the specified rate in respect of the period during which the said accommodation was occupied by the assessee during the previous year, exceeds the rent recoverable from, or payable by, the assessee;

(ii) the accommodation is taken on lease or rent by the employer, the value of the accommodation being the actual amount of lease rental paid or payable by the employer or fifteen percent of salary, whichever is lower, in respect of the period during which the said accommodation was occupied by the assessee during the previous year, exceeds the rent recoverable from, or payable by, the assessee;

(b) in a case where a furnished accommodation is provided by the Central Government or any State Government, the license fee determined by the Central Government or any State Government in respect of the accommodation in accordance with the rules framed by such Government as increased by the value of furniture and fixtures in respect of the period during which the said accommodation was occupied by the assessee during the previous year, exceeds the aggregate of the rent recoverable from, or payable by, the assessee and any charges paid or payable for the furniture and fixtures by the assessee;

(c) in a case where a furnished accommodation is provided by an employer other than the Central Government or any State Government and—

(i) the accommodation is owned by the employer, the value of the accommodation determined under sub-clause (i) of clause (a) as increased by the value of the furniture and fixtures in respect of the period during which the said accommodation was occupied by the assessee during the previous year, exceeds the rent recoverable from, or payable by, the assessee;

(ii) the accommodation is taken on lease or rent by the employer, the value of the accommodation determined under sub-clause (ii) of clause (a) as increased by the value of the furniture and fixtures in respect of the period during which the said accommodation was occupied by the assessee during the previous year, exceeds the rent recoverable from, or payable by, the assessee;

(d) in a case where the accommodation is provided by the employer in a hotel (except where the assessee is provided such accommodation for a period not exceeding in aggregate fifteen days on his transfer from one place to another), the value of the accommodation determined at the rate of twenty-four percent of salary paid or payable for the previous year or the actual charges paid or payable to such hotel, whichever is lower, for the period during which such accommodation is provided, exceeds the rent recoverable from, or payable by, the assessee.

Explanation 2.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the value of furniture and fixtures shall be ten percent per annum of the cost of furniture (including television sets, radio sets, refrigerators, other household appliances, air-conditioning plant or equipment or other similar appliances or gadgets) or if such furniture is hired from a third party, the actual hire charges payable for the same as reduced by any charges paid or payable for the same by the assessee during the previous year.

Explanation 3.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, "salary" includes the pay, allowances, bonus or commission payable monthly or otherwise or any monetary payment, by whatever name called, from one or more employers, as the case may be, but does not include the following, namely:—

(a) dearness allowance or dearness pay unless it enters into the computation of superannuation or retirement benefits of the employee concerned;

(b) employer's contribution to the provident fund account of the employee;

(c) allowances which are exempted from the payment of tax;

(d) value of the perquisites specified in this clause;

(e) any payment or expenditure specifically excluded under the proviso to this clause.

Explanation 4.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, "specified rate" shall be—

(i) Fifteen per cent of salary in cities having a population exceeding twenty-five lakhs as per the 2001 census;

(ii) ten percent of salary in cities having a population exceeding ten lakhs but not exceeding twenty-five lakhs as per the 2001 census; and

(iii) seven and one-half percent of salary in any other place;

(iii) the value of any benefit or amenity granted or provided free of cost or at a concessional rate in any of the following cases—

(a) by a company to an employee who is a director thereof;

(b) by a company to an employee being a person who has a substantial interest in the company;

(c) by any employer (including a company) to an employee to whom the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this sub-clause do not apply and whose income under the head "Salaries" (whether due from, or paid or allowed by, one or more employers), exclusive of the value of all benefits or amenities not provided for by way of monetary payment, exceeds fifty thousand rupees:

Explanation.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that the use of any vehicle provided by a company or an employer for journey by the assessee from his residence to his office or other place of work, or from such office or place to his residence, shall not be regarded as a benefit or amenity granted or provided to him free of cost or at concessional rate for the purposes of this sub-clause;

(iiia) [***]

(iv) any sum paid by the employer in respect of any obligation which, but for such payment, would have been payable by the assessee;

(v) any sum payable by the employer, whether directly or through a fund, other than a recognised provident fund or an approved superannuation fund or a Deposit-linked Insurance Fund established under section 3G of the Coal Mines Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1948 (46 of 1948), or, as the case may be, section 6C of the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (19 of 1952), to effect an assurance on the life of the assessee or to effect a contract for an annuity;

(vi) the value of any specified security or sweat equity shares allotted or transferred, directly or indirectly, by the employer, or former employer, free of cost or at concessional rate to the assessee.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause,—

(a) "specified security" means the securities as defined in clause (h) of section 2 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 (42 of 1956) and, where employees' stock option has been granted under any plan or scheme therefor, includes the securities offered under such plan or scheme;

(b) "sweat equity shares" means equity shares issued by a company to its employees or directors at a discount or for consideration other than cash for providing know-how or making available rights in the nature of intellectual property rights or value additions, by whatever name called;

(c) the value of any specified security or sweat equity shares shall be the fair market value of the specified security or sweat equity shares, as the case may be, on the date on which the option is exercised by the assessee as reduced by the amount actually paid by, or recovered from, the assessee in respect of such security or shares;

(d) "fair market value" means the value determined in accordance with the method as may be prescribed;

(e) "option" means a right but not an obligation granted to an employee to apply for the specified security or sweat equity shares at a predetermined price;

(vii) the amount of any contribution to an approved superannuation fund by the employer in respect of the assessee, to the extent it exceeds one lakh and fifty thousand rupees; and

Following sub-clauses (vii) and (viia) shall be substituted for the existing sub-clause (vii) of clause (2) of section 17 by the Finance Act, 2020, w.e.f. 1-4-2021:

(vii) the amount or the aggregate of amounts of any contribution made to the account of the assessee by the employer—

(a) in a recognised provident fund;

(b) in the scheme referred to in sub-section (1) of section 80CCD; and

(c) in an approved superannuation fund,

to the extent it exceeds seven lakh and fifty thousand rupees in a previous year;

(viia) the annual accretion by way of interest, dividend or any other amount of similar nature during the previous year to the balance at the credit of the fund or scheme referred to in sub-clause (vii) to the extent it relates to the contribution referred to in the said sub-clause which is included in total income under the said sub-clause in any previous year computed in such manner as may be prescribed; and

(viii) the value of any other fringe benefit or amenity as may be prescribed:

Provided that nothing in this clause shall apply to,—

(i) the value of any medical treatment provided to an employee or any member of his family in any hospital maintained by the employer;

(ii) any sum paid by the employer in respect of any expenditure actually incurred by the employee on his medical treatment or treatment of any member of his family—

(a) in any hospital maintained by the Government or any local authority or any other hospital approved by the Government for the purposes of medical treatment of its employees;

(b) in respect of the prescribed diseases or ailments, in any hospital approved by the Principal Chief Commissioner or Chief Commissioner having regard to the prescribed guidelines :

Provided that, in a case falling in sub-clause (b), the employee shall attach with his return of income a certificate from the hospital specifying the disease or ailment for which medical treatment was required and the receipt for the amount paid to the hospital;

(iii) any portion of the premium paid by an employer in relation to an employee, to effect or to keep in force an insurance on the health of such employee under any scheme approved by the Central Government or the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority established under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 (41 of 1999), for the purposes of clause (ib) of sub-section (1) of section 36;

(iv) any sum paid by the employer in respect of any premium paid by the employee to effect or to keep in force an insurance on his health or the health of any member of his family under any scheme approved by the Central Government or the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority established under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 (41 of 1999), for the purposes of section 80D;

(v) [***]

(vi) any expenditure incurred by the employer on—

(1) medical treatment of the employee, or any member of the family of such employee, outside India;

(2) travel and stay abroad of the employee or any member of the family of such employee for medical treatment;

(3) travel and stay abroad of one attendant who accompanies the patient in connection with such treatment,

subject to the condition that—

(A) the expenditure on medical treatment and stay abroad shall be excluded from perquisite only to the extent permitted by the Reserve Bank of India; and

(B) the expenditure on travel shall be excluded from perquisite only in the case of an employee whose gross total income, as computed before including therein the said expenditure, does not exceed two lakh rupees;

(vii) any sum paid by the employer in respect of any expenditure actually incurred by the employee for any of the purposes specified in clause (vi) subject to the conditions specified in or under that clause :

Provided further that for the assessment year beginning on the 1st day of April, 2002, nothing contained in this clause shall apply to any employee whose income under the head "Salaries" (whether due from, or paid or allowed by, one or more employers) exclusive of the value of all perquisites not provided for by way of monetary payment, does not exceed one lakh rupees.

Explanation.—For the purposes of clause (2),—

(i) "hospital" includes a dispensary or a clinic or a nursing home;

(ii) "family", in relation to an individual, shall have the same meaning as in clause (5) of section 10; and

(iii) "gross total income" shall have the same meaning as in clause (5) of section 80B;

(3) "profits in lieu of salary" includes—

(i) the amount of any compensation due to or received by an assessee from his employer or former employer at or in connection with the termination of his employment or the modification of the terms and conditions relating thereto;

(ii) any payment (other than any payment referred to in clause (10), clause (10A), clause (10B), clause (11), clause (12), clause (13) or clause (13A) of section 10), due to or received by an assessee from an employer or a former employer or from a provident or other fund, to the extent to which it does not consist of contributions by the assessee or interest on such contributions or any sum received under a Keyman insurance policy including the sum allocated by way of bonus on such policy.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression "Keyman insurance policy" shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (10D) of section 10;

(iii) any amount due to or received, whether in lump sum or otherwise, by any assessee from any person—

(A) before his joining any employment with that person; or

(B) after cessation of his employment with that person.

Now we will discuss some of the common allowances and other benefits received in respect of Salary Income - i.e. their taxability etc.

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1. House Rent Allowance

​This allowance is normally granted by many Employers to cover the house rent to be paid by employees in case they do not have their own house.

​The House Rent Allowance is added to the Salary Income and there is an exemption available in respect of this allowance u/s 10 of the Income Tax Act.

The same is as under :

Least of the following is exempt from tax -

(a) Actual HRA received

(b) 40% of Salary (Basic + HRA) (in case of non-metro cities) and 50% of salary (Basic + HRA) in case of Metro Cities

(c) Excess of Rent paid over 10% of Salary

​2. Leave Encashment

​Leave Encashment is taxable when receipt during the service period. However the same is exempt from tax when received by Govt. an employee at the time of retirement. In case of non-govt. employee, the leave encashment is exempt as per the limit prescribed at the time of retirement.

​The limit prescribed is that the least of the following three is exempt :

​a. 10 months average salary preceding retirement or resignation (where average salary includes basic and DA and excludes perquisites and allowances)

​b. Leave encashment received. (this is further subject to a limit of Rs 3,00,000 for retirements after 02.04.1998)

​c. Amount equal to salary for the leave earned (where leave earned should not exceed 30 days for every year of service)

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3. Gratuity

​Gratuity received by Government employees is exempt from tax when received at the time of retirement.

In the case of non-government employees, the same is exempt as per limit prescribed under the Income Tax Act.

​The rule of exemption is :

​If your employer is covered by the Payment of Gratuity Act, then the least of the following three is tax-exempt.

​1. 15 days salary based on the salary last drawn for every completed year of service or part thereof in excess of 6 months.

​2. Rs 20,00,000

​​3. Gratuity actually received

​If your employer is not covered under the Payment of Gratuity Act, the least of the following three is tax-exempt.

​1. Half a month’s salary for each completed year of service. While calculating completed years, any fraction of a year shall be ignored.

2.Rs 20,00,000

​3. Gratuity actually received

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4. Standard Deduction

​From Asstt. Yr. 2019-20, the standard deduction of Rs.40000/- was reintroduced as a deduction from Salary Income. The same has been raised to Rs.50000 from Asstt. Yr. 2020-21.

​Thus every salaried employee will get a deduction of Rs.50000 or the actual salary whichever is less from A.Yr.2020-21.

However, the conveyance allowance has been discontinued which was available at Rs.1600 per month earlier.

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