Leave encashment non taxable

As per section 10(10AA) of income tax in india, leave encashment amount received by employee by a previous employer in full and final statement, is non-taxable. So If you have changed a job in financial year and received leave encashment for the remaining earned leaves (ELs) Just deduct the amount from total income and compute the income tax on top of that.

Payment by way of leave encashment received by Central & State Govt. employees at the time of retirement in respect of the period of earned leave at credit is fully exempt.

In case of other employees, the exemption is to be limited to minimum of all below:
1. The actual amount received
2. The cash equivalent of leave balance (max 30 days per year of service)
3. Maximum of 10 months of leave encashment, based on last 10 months average salary
4. Rs. 3 Lakhs

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Pankaj Batra

Jack of multiple trades. A generalist! Founder of Sparse Labs. Find me at FB, Twitter or LinkedIn .

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  • Dear Pankaj,

    I am a defence service personnel and presently on a mission in foreign country for a period of 3 years. I would like to know whether amount deposited/interest earned on Fixed deposits in SBI for certain period, is taxable or otherwise. Because Bank manager has assured me of NO tax. Am i required to submit some proof of my foreign assigment, to my bankers in India or otherwise. I shall be highly thankful for your valuable response.

    • @JyotiSharma
      As you have Non-resident status, income earned outside india won't be taxable in India. But the income earned in india should be taxable here.

  • I have travelled from Kolkata-Haldwani by rail and from there i moved to Nainital-Almora-Kausani-Ranikhet-Corbett.Finaly we caught train for Delhi from Moradabad and back to Kolkata.Can i claim LTA benefit for the travel undertaken by hired car as per actual bill of the transporter as there is no rail service available.Pls advice.

    • @Konkon
      In case, the rail service is not available, only fare of existing public transport can be considered and not the hired car rate.

  • Dear Pankaj,
    Your site & answers are pretty comprehensive & knowledgable. I have a query. I am leaving job & paying balance of notice period. Company has adjusted my salary against the same. Can company charge for salary which is not paid? Also, this notice period amount will be borne by next employer. Will that be taxable & taken as income in IT calculation?
    Thanks & Regards
    Neeraj

    • @Neeraj
      Your previous company cannot deduct TDS on amount not paid to you.
      In next company, the notice period amount will be provided as a bonus and tax will be payable on that. This amount will be added to your taxable income.

  • Please solve my query :
    If X received leave encashment for Rs. 56,000 on account of accumulated leave for 240 days. He was entitled to 40 days leave for every year of service. He served for 24 years 4 months. Last drawnsalary Rs. 5,000 p.m . X was employed in ABC pvt. ltd.
    Do we have to calculate cash for unavailed leaves.. if yes , how ? reply me urgent.

    • @Sachin
      In your case, You can have maximum 10 months of average salary (drawn in last 10 months) as non-taxable, that will come out as 50,000 Rs.

      • as we know exemption under section 10(10aa) is least of four..
        in my case
        (a) 3 lacs (govt specified limit)
        (b) 56000 (actual received)
        (c) 50000 (5000*10 months)
        (d) ??????? ( ???????)
        what should be (d) part calculation
        acc. to me part (d) leaves availed shout be find out i.e.--- (A) 960 (24*40) - 240(accumulated leaves) = 720 days (leaves availed)
        so leave entitlement on 30 year basis is----(B) 24*30 = 720 days
        So, A-B = 0 days = Entitlement to encashment = NIL
        Therefore least of four should be Nil means no exemption should be provided.. and whole Rs. 56000 is taxable as part of salary..
        Please confirm my answer....am i right or wrong
        Thanks

        • @Sachin
          4th component is Cash equivalent of leaves (max 30 days per service year)
          So If it can be calculated as per below:
          As you served 24 years (as per rules, only full years considered). For each year, consider minimum of 30 and (40-leave taken) as non-taxable and compute the total amount.

          • yeah i got it.. thanks
            if i change little bit above question.. see now
            Please solve my query :
            If X received leave encashment for Rs. 1,68,000 for 420 days of leaves standing at his credit. He was entitled to 45 days a year. He served for 17 years 4 months. His 10 month's average salary = Rs. 260705 . X was employed in ABC pvt. ltd.

            Solution - least of four
            (a) Rs 3 lacs
            (b) Rs 1,68,000 (actual receeived)
            (c) Rs. 260705 (10 month's average salary)
            (d) cash equivalent ??????? i dont know how to calculate this... put some light on this point..

          • @Sachin
            Point (d): Total service years: 17. Leaves allowed per year = 30. Total leaves max which can be tax free = 17*30 = 510.
            cash equivalent of 510 leaves depends on company policy.
            If company pays only basic salary for leave encashment, then cash equivalent portion = 510 * last drawn daily basic salary.
            If company pays full salary for leave encashment, then cash equivalent portion = 510 * last drawn daily salary.

          • I am ca student. i am referring my questions from 1 book.. but point d in the book is not calculated as we both understand ..
            it is as follows
            (d) --- (i) as per contract
            420 days of leave outstanding= 14 months *26071 = Rs. 364994
            ---(ii) as per income tax
            Finding outstanding leaves allowed at 30 days a year
            Total leave entitlement allowed as per contract(a)=765 days (45*17)
            Less : Accumulated leave outstanding as per contract(b)= 420 days
            Actual Leave availed (c) (a-b) = 345 days

            Leave Entitlement (on 30 days basis) (d) =510 days (30*17)
            Entitlement for encashment (d-c) = 510-345 days = 165 days= 5.5 months

            Cash for unavailed leave = 26071*5.5 month= Rs. 1,43,391

            In point (d) least of two i.e. as per contract and as per income tax, income tax basis Rs. 1,43,391 is taken
            and it is also least of four
            Please clerify is this right

          • @Sachin
            I could not find any tax rules over internet which does computation on basis of actual leave availed.
            However, I might be wrong. I am not a CA or income tax professional and have no finance education. I am a software engineer by profession and write about personal finance due to me interest in sharing what I know.

          • can u understand above thing.... as per contract 420 days outstanding is taken and multiplied with salary
            u know salary for this purpose is taken as Basic+D.A. (only if it enters retirement benefit)+ % Commission on Sales .. remember not on purchase.. it is as per Income tax rules

  • Hi ,

    In my company leave encashment calculated as ((Basic + HRA)/ working days i.e. 22)
    So in full & final settlement ..entire leave amount is non-taxable or only Basic related portion of encashment is non-taxable & need to pay tax on HRA portion.

    Thanks
    Abhijeet

  • dear sir, the leave-encashment rules says -
    for govt. employees- fully exempted
    for others 1. The actual amount received
    2. The cash equivalent of leave balance (max 30 days per year of service)
    3. Maximum of 10 months of leave encashment, based on last 10 months average salary
    4. Rs. 3 Lakhs

    i was working in a nationalised bank. whether i am fully exempted beyond Rs. 3,00,000/-

    KINDLY REPLY IMMEDIATELY,

    THANKS

  • HI Pankaj, i am serving a notice period in my company, as of 35 leaves which is pending in my 2 and half year career in this company, by coming year jan mid my notice period will get finished, will i get my leave balance in jan only or will it moved to feb, how can i claim the leave balance from my company.

    • @Nagraj
      In your full and final statement from current employer, there will be a payment towards leave encashment (if these leaves are paid leaves) and which will be non-taxable subject to some conditions and limits.

  • I SERVED IN PRESENTLY CENTRAL RESERVE POLICE FORCE. I HAVE TAKEN TEN DAYS LEAVE ENCASHMENT BEFORE 10 YEARS OF QUITTING SERVICE. THIS LEAVE ENCASHMENT DRAWN AMOUNT FOR INCOME TAX FULLY EXAMPTED OR NOT. PLEASE CLARIFY IN THIS REGARDS.

    • on the basis of LTC block year 2010-11 ten days leave encash on dated-20-5-10 serving personnel. For calculation of Income Tax financial year 2010-11 above leave encashment whole amount income tax fully exampted or not. please clarify.

  • Is Children Educaiton Allowance (maximum Rs. 12000/- each child upto 2 child) will be included in gross salary? This CEA amount exemption from income tax or not. Please clarity.

    • @Supriya
      Children Education allowance: Per school going child 1200 per annum is non-taxable. Maximum for 2 children, so max 2400 per annum becomes non-taxable.

  • I SERVED IN CENTRAL PARA MALATRY FORCE. I HAVE TAKEN TEN DAYS LEAVE ENCASHMENT WITH THE LTC BLOCK YEAR 2010-11(WHILE IN SERVICE). THIS LEAVE ENCASHMENT DRAWN AMOUNT FULLY EXEMPTED FOR INCOME TAX OR NOT. PLEASE CLARIFY

    • @Harsh
      LTC and leave encashment are two different things.
      LTC is provided when you travel on leaves with your family.
      Lease encashment is payment for leaves not taken and it is non taxable but the exemption is to be limited to minimum of all below:
      1. The actual amount received
      2. The cash equivalent of leave balance (max 30 days per year of service)
      3. Maximum of 10 months of leave encashment, based on last 10 months average salary
      4. Rs. 3 Lakhs

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