Income Exempted under the Head Salaries in Income Tax

Income Exempted (Not Included) under the Head Salaries in Income Tax. In our previous post we discussed about the Income covered under Salaries and now let us know the Income which is not Included under the Head Salaries means Exempted from Salaries under certain conditions. Any income falling within any of the following clauses shall not be included in computing the income from salaries for the purpose of section 192 of the Act.

Income Exempted (Not Included) under the Head Salaries

Travel Concession or Assistance:

      5.3.1 The value of any travel concession or assistance received by or due to an employee from his employer or former employer for himself and his family, in connection with his proceeding (a) on leave to any place in India or (b) after retirement from service, or, after termination of service to any place in India is exempt under Section 10(5) subject, however, to the conditions prescribed in Rule 2B of the Rules.
 It may also be noted that the amount exempt under this clause shall in no case exceed theamount of expenses actually incurred for the purpose of such travel.

Death-cum-retirement gratuity 

      5.3.2 Death-cum-retirement gratuity or any other gratuity is exempt to the extent specified from inclusion in computing the total income under Section 10(10). Any death-cum-retirement gratuity received under the revised Pension Rules of the Central Government or, as the case may be, the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, or under any similar scheme applicable to the members of the civil services of the Union or holders of posts connected with defence or of civil posts under the Union (such members or holders being persons not governed by the said Rules) or to the members of the all-India services or to the members of the civil services of a State or holders of civil posts under a State or to the employees of a local authority or any payment of retiring gratuity received under the Pension Code or Regulations applicable to the members of the defence service. Gratuity received in cases other than those mentioned above, on retirement, termination etc is exempt up to the limit as prescribed by the Board.
      Presently the limit is Rs. 10 lakhs w.e.f. 24.05.2010 [Notification no. 43/2010 S.O. 1414(E) F.No. 200/33/2009-ITA-1 dated 11th June 2010].

Commutation of Pension

        5.3.3 Any payment in commutation of pension received under the Civil Pensions (Commutation) Rules of the Central Government or under any similar scheme applicable to the members of the civil services of the Union or holders of posts connected with defence or of civil posts under the Union (such members or holders being persons not governed by the said Rules) or to the members of the all- India services or to the members of the defence services or to the members of the civil services of a State or holders of civil posts under a State or to the employees of a local authority] or a corporation established by a Central, State or Provincial Act, is exempt under Section10(10A)(i). As regards payments in commutation of pension received under any scheme of any other employer, exemption will be governed by the provisions of section 10(10A)(ii). Also, any payment in commutation of pension from a fund referred to in Section 10(23AAB) is exempt under Section 10(10A)(iii).

Cash-equivalent of the Leave Salary

         5.3.4 Any payment received by an employee of the Central Government or a State Government, as cash-equivalent of the leave salary in respect of the period of earned leave at his credit at the time of his retirement, whether on superannuation or otherwise, is exempt under Section 10(10AA)(i). In the case of other employees, this exemption will be determined with reference to the leave to their credit at the time of retirement on superannuation or otherwise, subject to a maximum of ten months' leave. This exemption will be further limited to the maximum amount specified by the Government of India Notification No.S.O.588(E) dated 31.05.2002 at Rs. 3,00,000/- in relation to such employees who retire, whether on superannuation or otherwise, after 1.4.1998.

Retrenchment Compensation

          5.3.5 Under Section 10(10B), the retrenchment compensation received by a workman is exempt from income-tax subject to certain limits. The maximum amount of retrenchment compensation exempt is the sum calculated on the basis provided in section 25F(b) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 or any amount not less than Rs.50,000/- as the Central Government may by notification specify in the Official Gazette, whichever is less. These limits shall not apply in the case where the compensation is paid under any scheme which is approved in this behalf by the Central Government, having regard to the need for extending
special protection to the workmen in the undertaking to which the scheme applies and other relevant circumstances. The maximum limit of such payment is Rs. 5,00,000/- where retrenchment is on or after 1.1.1997 as specified in Notification No. 1096 of 25-06-1999.

Schemes of Voluntary Retirement

        5.3.6 Under Section 10(10C), any payment received or receivable (even if received in installments) by an employee of the following bodies at the time of his voluntary retirement or termination of his service, in accordance with any scheme or schemes of voluntary retirement or in the case of public sector company, a scheme of voluntary separation, is exempt from income-tax to the extent that such amount does not exceed Rs. 5,00,000/-:

• a) A public sector company;
• b) Any other company;
• c) An Authority established under a Central, State or Provincial Act;
• d) A Local Authority;
• e) A Cooperative Society;
• f) A university established or incorporated or under a Central, State or Provincial Act, or, an Institution declared to be a University under section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956;
• g) Any Indian Institute of Technology within the meaning of Section 3 (g) of the Institute of Technology Act, 1961;
• h) Such Institute of Management as the Central Government may by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf.

            The exemption of amount received under VRS has been extended to employees of the Central Government and State Government and employees of notified institutions having importance throughout India or any State or States. It may also be noted that where this exemption has been allowed to any employee for any assessment year, it shall not be allowed to him for any other assessment year. Further, if relief has been allowed under section 89 for any assessment year in respect of amount received on voluntary retirement or superannuation, no exemption under section 10(10C) shall be available.

Sum received under a Life Insurance Policy

          5.3.7 Any sum received under a Life Insurance Policy (Sec 10(10D), including the sum allocated by way of bonus on such policy other than the following is exempt under section 10(10D):

1. i) any sum received under section 80DD(3) or section 80DDA(3); or
2. ii) any sum received under a Keyman insurance policy; or
3. iii) any sum received under an insurance policy issued on or after 1.4.2003, but on or before 31-03-2012, in respect of which the premium payable for any of the years during the term of the policy exceeds 20 percent of the actual capital sum assured; or
4. iv) any sum received under an insurance policy issued on or after 1.4.2012 in respect of which the premium payable for any of the years during the term of the policy exceeds 10 percent of the actual capital sum assured; or
5. iv) any sum received under an insurance policy issued on or after 1.4.2013. In cases of persons with disability or person with severe disability as per Sec 80 U or suffering from disease or ailment as specified in Sec 80DDB, in respect of which the premium payable for any of the years during the term of the policy exceeds 15 percent of the actual capital sum assured

However, any sum received under such policy referred to in (iii), (iv) and (v) above, on the death of a person would be exempt.

Payment from a Provident Fund

5.3.8 Any payment from a Provident Fund to which the Provident Funds Act, 1925, applies or from any other provident fund set up by the Central Government and notified by it in the Official Gazette is exempt under section 10(11).

Expenditure incurred on Payment of Rent

5.3.9 Under section 10(13A) of the Act, any special allowance specifically granted to an assessee by his employer to meet expenditure incurred on payment of rent (by whatever name called) in respect of residential accommodation occupied by the assessee is exempt from Income-tax to the extent as may be prescribed, having regard to the area or place in which such accommodation is situated and other relevant considerations. 

More and Detailed Information on HRA Exemption Click Here

     
5.3.12 Any scholarship granted to meet the cost of education is not to be included in total income as per provisions of section 10(16) of the Act.

Medical Treatment:

5.3.14 Under Section 17 of the Act, exemption from tax will also be available in respect of:-

1. (a) the value of any medical treatment provided to an employee or any member of his family, in any hospital maintained by the employer;
2. (b) any sum paid by the employer in respect of any expenditure actually incurred by the employee on his medical treatment or of any member of his family:  (i) 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;   ii) in respect of the prescribed diseases or ailments as provided in Rule 3A(2) of the Rules in any hospital approved by the Chief Commissioner having regard to the prescribed guidelines as provided in Rule 3(A)1)of the Rules.
3. (c) premium paid by the employer in respect of medical insurance taken for his employees (under any scheme approved by the Central Government or Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority) or reimbursement of insurance premium to the employees who take medical insurance for themselves or for their family members (under any scheme approved by the Central Government or Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority);
4. (d) reimbursement, by the employer, of the amount spent by an employee in obtaining medical treatment for himself or any member of his family from any doctor, not exceeding in the aggregate Rs.15,000/- in an year.
5. (e) As regards medical treatment abroad, the actual expenditure on stay and treatment abroad of the employee or any member of his family, or, on stay abroad of one attendant who accompanies the patient, in connection with such treatment, will be excluded from perquisites to the extent permitted by the Reserve Bank of India. It may be noted that the expenditure incurred on travel abroad by the patient/attendant, shall be excluded from perquisites only if the employee's gross total income, as computed before including the said expenditure, does not exceed Rs.2 lakhs.

      For the purpose of availing exemption on expenditure incurred on medical treatment, "hospital" includes a dispensary or clinic or nursing home, and "family" in relation to an individual means the spouse and children of the individual. Family also includes parents, brothers and sisters of the individual if they are wholly or mainly dependent on the individual.

5.4 DEDUCTIONS U/S 16 OF THE ACT FROM THE INCOME FROM SALARIES

5.4.1 Entertainment Allowance [Section 16(ii)]:
A deduction is also allowed under section 16(ii) 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. No deduction on account of entertainment allowance is available to non-government employees.
5.4.2 Tax on Employment [Section 16(iii)]:
The tax on employment (Professional Tax) within the meaning of article 276(2) of the Constitution of India, leviable by or under any law, shall also be allowed as a deduction in computing the income under the head "Salaries".
It may be clarified that “Standard Deduction” from gross salary income, which was being allowed up to financial year 2004-05 is not allowable from financial year 2005-06 onwards.

Useful Previous Articles on Income Tax:

Income Chargeable under the Head Salaries-Click Here

Exemption of HRA - U/s Section 10(13A) Complete Details-Click Here

IT Deductions allowed under Chapter VI-A, Sections 80C, 80CCC, 80D.etc-Click Here

Income Tax Forms-Click Here