Gratuity Calculator (India)
What This Calculator Does
This gratuity calculator computes the lump-sum amount payable to employees in India under the Payment of Gratuity Act 1972. It uses your last drawn basic + DA salary and total years of service. Gratuity is tax-free up to ₹20 lakh under Section 10(10) of the Income Tax Act.
Inputs Explained
- Last Drawn Basic + DA (₹): Your monthly basic salary plus dearness allowance at the time of leaving.
- Years of Service: Total complete years worked. The Act requires minimum 5 years of continuous service for eligibility.
- Coverage Type: Most private companies are covered under the Gratuity Act. Government employees follow different rules.
How It Works
The standard formula multiplies your last drawn salary (basic + DA) by 15/26 (representing 15 days' wages in a 26-day working month) and by the number of completed years of service. A part-year of 6 months or more is rounded up to a full year.
Formula / Logic Used
Calculate gratuity payable on retirement or resignation as per Indian law.
Step-by-Step Example
Last Drawn Basic + DA: ₹50,000/month
Years of Service: 10 years
Calculation: (50,000 × 15 × 10) ÷ 26 = ₹2,88,461
Gratuity Amount: ₹2,88,461 — entirely tax-free (well under ₹20 lakh cap).
For a service of 10.5 years, the calculator rounds up to 11 years (since 6+ months counts as a full year).
Use Cases
- Resignation planning: Know your gratuity entitlement before submitting your resignation.
- Retirement preparation: Estimate the lump sum you'll receive at superannuation.
- Job change negotiation: Confirm gratuity you'll forfeit if you leave before completing 5 years.
- Tax planning: Identify whether your gratuity exceeds the ₹20 lakh tax-free limit.
- Final settlement check: Verify the gratuity figure on your full and final settlement statement.
Assumptions and Limitations
- The 5-year minimum service rule has narrow exceptions: death or disablement of the employee.
- The ₹20 lakh tax-free cap applies cumulatively across all employments — keep records of past gratuity received.
- For employees not covered under the Act, the formula uses 30 days instead of 26 in the divisor.
- Gratuity calculation excludes overtime, bonuses, commissions, and HRA — only basic + DA counts.
Sources and References
- Payment of Gratuity Act 1972 — Original Act PDF from the Ministry of Labour & Employment.
- Income Tax India — Section 10(10) — Tax exemption rules for gratuity.
- Ministry of Labour & Employment — Government source for gratuity rules and updates.
- India Code — Labour Laws — Authoritative repository of Indian labour legislation.
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
Under the Payment of Gratuity Act, gratuity = (Last drawn basic + DA) × 15/26 × completed years of service. Example: last basic ₹50,000, 12 years of service. Gratuity = 50,000 × 15/26 × 12 = ₹3,46,154. Eligibility requires 5+ years of continuous service (or in case of death/disability, no minimum). Maximum tax-free gratuity is ₹20 lakh (lifetime cap). For organisations not covered by the Act, formula is similar but uses 15/30 days instead of 15/26. The calculator handles both covered and non-covered scenarios.
Formula under the Payment of Gratuity Act: Gratuity = (Last Drawn Salary × 15 × Years of Service) / 26. "Salary" here means basic + DA. The "15/26" represents 15 days of salary for every year, dividing monthly salary by 26 (working days). Years of service: any fraction of 6+ months counts as a full year, less than 6 months is rounded down. Example: 7 years 8 months = 8 years; 7 years 4 months = 7 years. Tax-free up to ₹20 lakh in lifetime; excess is taxable. The calculator follows these statutory rules exactly.
5 years of continuous service is the standard requirement for gratuity eligibility under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. Continuous service means working in the same organisation without break. In case of death or permanent disability, the 5-year rule is waived — gratuity is paid regardless of tenure. Recent court rulings have allowed gratuity at 4 years 240 days (treating it as 5 years). Maternity leave and authorised leaves count as continuous service. Resignation before 5 years means no gratuity (unless your organisation has a more generous policy). The calculator validates the eligibility condition.
Yes, but with limits. For employees covered under the Payment of Gratuity Act, gratuity up to ₹20 lakh in a lifetime is tax-free. Anything above ₹20 lakh is taxable as "income from salary" in the year of receipt. For government employees, gratuity is fully tax-free. The ₹20 lakh exemption is cumulative across all employers in your career. So if you received ₹15 lakh from one employer, only ₹5 lakh is exempt from the next. Plan large gratuity payments in years of lower income for tax efficiency. The calculator shows tax-free vs taxable portions.
After 5 years (the minimum eligibility), gratuity = (last basic + DA) × 15/26 × 5. Example: basic ₹35,000, 5 years of service. Gratuity = 35,000 × 15/26 × 5 = ₹1,00,962. The 5-year mark is the threshold — even one day less typically disqualifies you (with rare exceptions for 4 years 240 days that some courts have accepted). Plan job changes around this milestone if possible — leaving at 4 years 11 months loses you a real amount. Tax-free up to lifetime ₹20 lakh limit. The calculator computes gratuity for any tenure beyond 5 years.
Generally, no gratuity is payable if you leave before completing 5 years of continuous service. The Payment of Gratuity Act mandates 5 years as the threshold. Two exceptions: (1) death or permanent disability — full gratuity is paid regardless of service length, to nominee/family; (2) some High Court rulings accepting 4 years 240 days as eligible (case-specific). Some organisations voluntarily pay gratuity earlier as part of their HR policy — check your offer letter. If staying just a few more months gets you gratuity, it's almost always worth it financially. The calculator confirms eligibility status.
No, notice period served is not added to your tenure for gratuity calculation. Your gratuity is calculated on actual completed years of service up to your last working day. However, if your notice period takes you across the 5-year mark or completes 6 months of an additional year, that helps. Example: completing 4 years 7 months including notice period — that rounds to 5 years for gratuity. So the timing of resignation matters. Check the exact day your service crosses the relevant threshold. The calculator accepts dates and shows whether you cross critical eligibility points.
Understanding the Gratuity Calculator
Worked Example
Anjali retires after 22 years 8 months with last drawn basic+DA of ₹85,000/month.
- Service rounded up: 23 years (8+ months in last year rounds up)
- Gratuity = (₹85,000 × 15 × 23) / 26
- = ₹2,93,25,000 / 26 = ₹11,28,461
- Tax-free under Section 10(10) (under ₹20L cap): fully tax-free
- If last drawn were ₹1,50,000: gratuity = ₹19,90,385 — still tax-free.
Comparison Table
| Last Basic+DA | 10 years | 20 years | 25 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹30,000 | ₹1.73 L | ₹3.46 L | ₹4.33 L | ₹5.19 L |
| ₹50,000 | ₹2.88 L | ₹5.77 L | ₹7.21 L | ₹8.65 L |
| ₹75,000 | ₹4.33 L | ₹8.65 L | ₹10.82 L | ₹12.98 L |
| ₹1,00,000 | ₹5.77 L | ₹11.54 L | ₹14.42 L | ₹17.31 L |
| ₹1,50,000 | ₹8.65 L | ₹17.31 L | ₹21.63 L | ₹25.96 L |
Above the ₹20L tax-free cap (raised 2018), excess is taxable at slab rate.
Use Cases
- Retirement planning: estimate gratuity as part of overall retirement income.
- Job change decision: understand gratuity loss if leaving before 5 years.
- Settlement check: verify employer's gratuity calculation on exit.
- Tax planning: ensure gratuity is below ₹20L cap or plan for taxable portion.
Glossary
- Gratuity
- Statutory lump-sum payment to employees on exit/retirement after qualifying service.
- Continuous Service
- 5 consecutive years (or specific deemed continuity); waived for death/disability.
- Section 10(10)
- Indian Income Tax provision exempting gratuity up to ₹20 lakh lifetime.
- Basic + DA
- Basic salary + Dearness Allowance — the salary component used in gratuity calculation.
- Payment of Gratuity Act 1972
- The principal Indian statute governing private-sector gratuity.
Sources & References
- Ministry of Labour & Employment — Authority for Payment of Gratuity Act.
- Income Tax Department India — Tax treatment under Section 10(10).
- Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) — Adjudication and enforcement of gratuity disputes.
Last reviewed: May 2026