Check who is eligible and work out the annual bonus for your staff under the Code on Wages, 2019, with the limits notified in August 2026.
Bonus above the minimum is paid from the allocable surplus: 67% of the available surplus (60% for a banking company). Available surplus is gross profit less depreciation, direct tax and other prior charges.
Estimate to help you plan. New businesses get relief in their first 5 profitable years, and set-on and set-off rules can change the rate, so check with your accountant before paying.
Chapter IV of the Code on Wages, 2019 (sections 26 to 41) replaced the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 from 21 November 2025. Every eligible employee gets at least the minimum bonus each accounting year, whether or not the business made a profit.
Bonus = wages for bonus × months worked × bonus rate (8.33% to 20%)
The bonus chapter applies to establishments with 20 or more persons. It does not cover some employers, such as government departments, LIC, RBI, educational institutions and non-profit hospitals. An employee dismissed for fraud, violent behaviour, theft or sabotage, or convicted of sexual harassment, loses the bonus.
The Centre notified the ₹21,000 eligibility limit (S.O. 4711(E)) and the ₹7,000 or minimum wage ceiling for calculation (S.O. 4710(E)) under section 26, both deemed effective from 21 November 2025.
Bonus rules moved from the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 to Chapter IV of the Code on Wages, 2019. Bonus must now be credited to the employee’s bank account.
Allowances above 50% of total pay are added back to wages, so some employees may now cross the ₹21,000 limit.
Official sources this tool is based on:
Further reading
Last reviewed on 16 October 2026. Results are estimates to help you plan, not legal or tax advice. Check notifications on the official portals before you file or pay.


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