Skip to main content
BizzFieldPayroll

BONUS CALCULATOR

Two ceilings decide the answer.

One ceiling decides who is eligible. A different, lower ceiling decides what the bonus is calculated on. Confusing the two is the most common error.

Enter your details

Fields are pre-filled with typical values — type your own or drag the sliders, and everything recalculates instantly. Nothing is sent to a server.

Basic plus dearness allowance.

months
%

Statutory minimum is 8.33% and maximum is 20%.

Calculated on FY 2025-26 statutory rates. Indicative only — confirm against current notifications before filing.

Statutory bonus payable

₹6,997

Wage used for calculation

₹7,000

Months counted

12

Bonus rate applied

8.33%

Statutory bonus on the capped calculation wage

Bonus payable₹6,997

Full breakdown

Monthly wage₹18,000
Calculation ceiling₹7,000
Wage considered₹7,000
Bonus payable₹6,997

Step-by-step calculation

1Eligibility₹18,000 vs ₹21,000 limitEligible
2Wage consideredmin(₹18,000, ₹7,000)₹7,000
3Bonus payable₹7,000 × 12 months × 8.33%₹6,997

HOW IT WORKS

The formula used

Eligibility is assessed on actual wages, but the bonus itself is computed on a capped wage.

EligibilityMonthly wage ≤ ₹21,000
Calculation wagemin(monthly wage, ₹7,000 or minimum wage)
Bonus payableCalculation wage × months worked × rate
Rate rangeMinimum 8.33%, maximum 20%

UNDERSTANDING IT

About the bonus calculator

Statutory bonus is a legal entitlement rather than a discretionary payment. It applies to employees earning up to a wage limit, and it is payable annually, most commonly around the festival season.

The structure catches many employers out because two different ceilings apply. The eligibility ceiling determines who qualifies. A separate and much lower calculation ceiling determines the wage on which the bonus is computed. An employee earning ₹18,000 a month is eligible, but their bonus is calculated on ₹7,000, not ₹18,000.

The rate is bounded: a minimum of 8.33% must be paid regardless of profitability, and a maximum of 20% applies. Anything above that is a discretionary performance bonus rather than statutory bonus.

Worked example

Take a monthly wage of ₹18,000 for a full year at the minimum rate.

The employee is eligible because ₹18,000 is within the ₹21,000 limit. The calculation wage is capped at ₹7,000. Bonus is ₹7,000 × 12 months × 8.33%, which is ₹6,997 for the year. At the maximum 20% rate it would be ₹16,800.

WHY IT HELPS

What this calculator is good for

Apply both ceilings correctly

Eligibility and calculation ceilings are different figures serving different purposes.

Model minimum and maximum

Compare the 8.33% floor against the 20% cap for provisioning.

Prorate part years

Employees who joined mid-year receive bonus for months actually worked.

WATCH OUT

Common mistakes

These are the errors that most often produce a wrong number.

  • Calculating bonus on actual wages instead of the capped calculation wage.

  • Treating the eligibility ceiling and the calculation ceiling as the same number.

  • Paying below the 8.33% statutory minimum in a loss-making year.

  • Paying bonus outside payroll, which bypasses correct tax treatment.

HR TIPS

Practical guidance

Provision through the year

Accruing monthly avoids a single large hit in the festival season.

Pay through payroll

Bonus is taxable salary income and should carry proper tax deduction.

Separate statutory from performance

Discretionary bonus above the statutory maximum should be accounted separately.

QUESTIONS

Bonus Calculator — frequently asked

Employees earning monthly wages up to ₹21,000 who have worked for at least the qualifying number of days in the accounting year.

8.33% of the calculation wage, payable regardless of whether the establishment made a profit.

The Act caps the wage used for calculation at ₹7,000 per month or the applicable minimum wage, whichever is higher, even though eligibility is assessed on actual wages up to ₹21,000.

Yes. Bonus forms part of taxable salary income in the year it is received.

Results are indicative and computed on FY 2025-26statutory rates using conventional salary-structure assumptions. Your actual figures depend on your employer’s structure, your state and your declarations. Confirm against current notifications before relying on these numbers for filing.

Run this on real payroll, not a calculator

Stop calculating payroll in a spreadsheet. BizzField Payroll runs the whole cycle, applies every statutory rule and files what regulators expect.