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From 1 April 2026 a company car used privately is valued at ₹5,000 or ₹7,000 a month plus ₹3,000 for a chauffeur, and a company-owned flat at 5% to 10% of salary by city population. The tables, a Chennai example and what the tax regime changes.
An employee who joins mid-year can declare the previous employer’s salary and TDS on Form 122, which replaced Form 12B from 1 April 2026. If it is not given, each employer deducts as if it were the only one, and the gap surfaces at return time with interest.
Arrears paid in tax year 2026-27 are taxed in the year of receipt, but section 157(1) of the Income-tax Act, 2025 gives relief through Form 39, which replaced Form 10E. The four-step computation, a Nashik example and the employer’s checks.
When a raise takes effect mid-month, prorate each salary component by days at the old and new rates. Then recheck PF wages against the ₹25,000 ceiling, keep ESI to the end of the contribution period and re-project TDS for the rest of the tax year.
The Code on Wages requires final wages within two working days of the last day, and notice pay is not on its list of permitted deductions. How to show a buyout in the settlement, recover a shortfall separately and treat it for TDS, with a Gurugram example.
Under section 36 of the Code on Wages, allocable surplus above the 20% maximum bonus is carried forward (set on), and a shortfall below the 8.33% minimum is carried forward (set off), for up to four years. Bonus is due within eight months of year end.
Gratuity can be forfeited only when service is terminated for damage to employer property (up to the loss caused), riotous or violent conduct, or an offence involving moral turpitude in the course of employment. Notice, a reasoned order and payment of the balance within 30 days are needed.
Under the OSH Code a worker cannot work over 8 hours a day or 6 days a week, and a May 2026 notification requires a 30-minute break after 5 hours. The Central Rules set 48 hours a week and 144 overtime hours a quarter but no spread-over figure.
Chapter IV of the Industrial Relations Code applies to establishments with 300 or more workers on any day in the last 12 months. Model standing orders apply by default, drafts are deemed certified after 60 days, and failing to submit costs ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh.
Every industrial establishment with 20 or more workers needs a grievance redressal committee of up to 10 members, half from each side, with women at least in proportion to the workforce. It may decide within 30 days; a worker can then seek conciliation within 60 days.
Maharashtra employers deduct ₹200 a month and ₹300 in February from men earning over ₹10,000 and women over ₹25,000. PTRC vs PTEC, monthly and annual returns now due on the 15th, and the ₹200 or ₹1,000 late fee.
Employers can verify education, past employment, address and criminal record, but candidate checks are best run on specific, informed consent under the DPDP Act, 2023. What to check, what the notice must say, vendor contracts and how long to keep reports.
