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Gross Pay vs. Net Pay: What's the Difference?

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Created on
January 30, 2023

Summary

What’s Inside

Gross pay refers to the total amount of money an employee earns before any deductions are made, such as taxes or benefits.

Net pay, on the other hand, is the amount of money an employee takes home after all deductions have been made.

Understanding the difference between gross pay and net pay is important for both employees and employers, as it can impact budgeting and financial planning.

Key Differences between Gross and Net Salary: Head-to-Head Comparison 

Here’s a gross salary vs. net salary tabular comparison that’ll help make things clearer:

Parameter

Gross Salary 

Net Salary

Meaning

Gross salary is the salary amount after adding benefits but before deductions.

Net salary is the take-home amount after payroll deductions from the gross salary. 

Components

Gross pay includes the basic salary, housing rent allowance, conveyance allowance, overtime payments, performance bonuses and all other allowances. 

Net salary includes the gross pay after TDS, PPF, professional tax, pension and other deductions have been made. 

Formula

Gross Salary = Basic Salary + HRA + Medical Allowances + Other Bonuses and Allowances

Net salary = Gross Salary - All Deductions.

Benefits

Gross salary includes extra benefits like bonuses, commissions, overtime pay, holiday pay, etc. 

Net salary reduces the burden of paying taxes at various levels, as a significant portion may be deducted before paying the in-hand salary.

Taxes

All taxes are included in the employee’s gross salary.

No taxes are included in the employee’s net salary. 

Magnitude

Gross salary is generally higher than net salary. 

Net salary is usually lower than gross salary. 

Gross Salary Vs. Net Salary

Let’s take an example to see how gross and net salary work. Let’s say, Akansha has a gross salary of ₹1,50,000. While 50% of the gross salary is her base pay, the rest is composed of HRA, conveyance allowances, medical allowance, retirals and other bonuses. However, this figure doesn’t include any salary deductions. 

Now when we factor in deductions like TDS, professional tax, and PPF, we get her net salary. Let’s say these deductions add up to a total of ₹24,000. When this sum is deducted from her gross salary, the resulting figure is ₹1,26,000. Although her gross salary is much higher, this will be Anushka’s net or take-home salary.

Summing It Up

In conclusion, gross pay and net pay are two important concepts to understand when it comes to compensation and taxation. Gross pay is the total amount of money earned before any deductions or taxes are taken out, while net pay is the amount of money that an individual receives after all deductions and taxes have been taken out. Understanding the difference between these two terms can help individuals budget and plan their finances more effectively. It is also important for employers to understand and accurately calculate gross and net pay for their employees.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which is more net pay or gross pay?

Generally, gross pay is more than net pay as it consists of the employee’s salary before any deductions. Since net pay is the payable salary, post-tax and other deductions, it tends to be lower than gross pay. However, when no taxes or deductions are imposed on the employee’s income, the gross and net pay is equal. 

2. What is net salary?

Net salary refers to the take-home salary of an employee. It is computed by subtracting TDS, PPF, professional tax and other application deductions from the employee’s outstanding gross pay. In other words, Net Salary = Gross Pay - TDS - PPF - All Applicable Deductions. 

Curious? Read on

1. Decoding your gross salary

2. Salary Structure Components: How to calculate your salary

3. Salary terms you should know before the end of the month

4. What is CTC? Here's what you need to know

5. What is Salary increment and how to calculate it

Disclaimer

Fi Money is not a bank; it offers banking services through licensed partners and investment services through epiFi Wealth Pvt. Ltd. and its partners. This post is for information only and is not professional financial advice.
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