What are perquisites and how are they taxed?

Short answerPerquisites (‘perks’) are non-cash benefits your employer gives in addition to salary — a company car, employer-provided accommodation, concessional loans, ESOPs, club memberships. They are valued under set rules and added to your salary as taxable income, with TDS deducted. Some perks are exempt or concessionally valued.

What counts as a perquisite

A perquisite is a benefit in kind in addition to your cash salary: employer-provided or concessional accommodation, a company car, concessional loans, ESOPs, club fees, and so on. Each is added to your salary income and taxed at your slab.

How they're valued

The law prescribes valuation rules for each perk — for example, accommodation is valued as a percentage of salary, and a car by engine capacity and usage. Some benefits are exempt or lightly taxed (such as certain reimbursements), and others are taxed in full. Your employer computes the perquisite value, adds it to salary and deducts TDS. Valuation rules are detailed — confirm for a specific perk.

A worked example

Example: you get a company flat and a car. The accommodation is valued under the rules at, say, ₹1.8 lakh a year and the car at ₹28,800 — both added to your taxable salary, with TDS adjusted accordingly. ESOPs are a special case with two taxing points. Knowing the perquisite values helps you read your Form 16. Our team can review your perks.

Talk to CA Vijay R Singh

Getting perks at work and unsure how they're taxed? You can message him directly, or book a short call to talk through your situation.

This answer is general information for taxpayers, not tax advice. Tax rates, thresholds and forms change with each Finance Act — please confirm the current position for your own facts, or speak to us, before acting.

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