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Microlesson · 5-min read

Basic Salary, Bonus & Commission

## Basic Salary

  • Basic Salary (also called Base Salary / Basic Pay) is the fixed amount an employee earns, on which most other components (DA, HRA, PF etc.) are computed.
  • Fully Taxable – no exemption is available.

## Bonus

  • Fully Taxable under the head Salary.
  • Bonus is taxed on due or receipt basis, whichever is earlier.

## Commission – Two Sub-Categories

Type of CommissionTaxabilityWhy it matters
Commission on Turnover/Sales (CT) – paid as a fixed % of turnover achieved by employeeFully TaxableForms part of 'Salary' for HRA, Gratuity, Leave Salary computations
Other Commission (e.g., flat amount, ad-hoc bonus called commission)Fully TaxableNot included in 'Salary' for HRA / Gratuity / Leave Salary formulas

> Crucial point: Although both kinds of commission are 100% taxable, only Commission on Turnover (CT) is added in the 'Salary' definition used for exemption formulas (HRA, gratuity for non-PGA employees, leave salary, VRS etc.). This distinction is the most common trap in CA Inter problems.

Worked example

### Example 1

Example: Basic ₹40,000 p.m., DA (forming part) ₹10,000 p.m., Commission @ 2% on sales of ₹60,00,000 = ₹1,20,000 (₹10,000 p.m. on average). For HRA, 'Salary' p.m. = Basic + DA(if) + CT = 40,000 + 10,000 + 10,000 = ₹60,000.

### Example 2

Example: Mr. X received ₹50,000 commission as a fixed half-yearly bonus called 'commission'. → 100% taxable, but not included in 'Salary' for HRA calculation since it is not turnover-based.

⚠️ Common exam mistakes

  • Adding flat (non-turnover) commission in the HRA/gratuity 'Salary' formula – it must be excluded.
  • Ignoring commission while computing Salary for HRA when the question clearly says '% of turnover'.
  • Treating bonus as exempt – bonus is always 100% taxable.
  • Confusing 'Commission on Turnover' (CT) with 'Commission earned by an agent' (PGBP) – the latter has no employer-employee relation.
Reference:
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