Meaning of “Each year of completed service”

The meaning of each year of completed service under section 10(10) of the Income Tax Act is not defined in the act itself. But we can take guidance from decisions by various high courts. Here are excerpts of courts orders in which the Hon’ble High Court tried to explain the meaning of each year of completed service.

Meaning of each year of completed service defined by court

The phrase ‘each year of completed service’ used in section 10(10) of the Income Tax Act came up before hon’ble Bombay high court in CIT vs. P.N. Mehra [1993] 69 taxman 110/201 ITR 930 (Bom.) and it explained.

Meaning : Words ‘each year of completed service’ used in section 10(10) are not confined to completed years of service under one employer and have to be interpreted to mean an employee’s total service under two different employers including employer other than one from whose service he retired for purposes of calculation of period of years of his completed service, provided he was not paid gratuity by former employer.

Section 10(10) of Income Tax Act

10(10). (i) any death-cum-retirement gratuity received under the revised Pension Rules of the Central Government or, as the case may be, the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, or under any similar scheme applicable to the members of the civil services of the Union or holders of posts connected with defence or of civil posts under the Union (such members or holders being persons not governed by the said Rules)

or to the members of the all-India services or to the members of the civil services of a State or holders of civil posts under a State or to the employees of a local authority or any payment of retiring gratuity received under the Pension Code or Regulations applicable to the members of the defence services;

(ii) any gratuity received under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 (39 of 1972), to the extent it does not exceed an amount calculated in accordance with the provisions of sub-sections (2) and (3) of section 4 of that Act;

(iii) any other gratuity received by an employee on his retirement or on his becoming incapacitated prior to such retirement or on termination of his employment, or any gratuity received by his widow, children or dependants on his death, to the extent it does not, in either case, exceed one-half month’s salary for each year of completed service, calculated on the basis of the average salary for the ten months immediately preceding the month in which any such event occurs, subject to such limit as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf having regard to the limit applicable in this behalf to the employees of that Government :

Provided that where any gratuities referred to in this clause are received by an employee from more than one employer in the same previous year, the aggregate amount exempt from income-tax under this clause shall not exceed the limit so specified :

Provided further that where any such gratuity or gratuities was or were received in any one or more earlier previous years also and the whole or any part of the amount of such gratuity or gratuities was not included in the total income of the assessee of such previous year or years, the amount exempt from income-tax under this clause shall not exceed the limit so specified as reduced by the amount or, as the case may be, the aggregate amount not included in the total income of any such previous year or years.

Explanation.—In this clause, and in clause (10AA), “salary” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (h) of rule 2 of Part A of the Fourth Schedule;

In this article, you can get guidance from high courts on the meaning of each year of completed service under section 10(10) of the Income Tax Act.

Updated up to Finance Act 2021