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What Is CTC? Here Is Everything You Need To Know

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What Is CTC? Here Is Everything You Need To Know

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Are you a salaried employee who is not quite sure what CTC means? You're clearly not alone. While most people may be aware of the full form of CTC in salary — which is simply the cost-to-company — they may not know what exactly makes up the CTC. Many wrongly confuse their CTC with their net salary.

To understand what CTC means, let's take a closer look at what this term means, what it includes, and how this metric is calculated.

What Does CTC Mean?

CTC is an acronym that stands for cost-to-company. CTC is from the perspective of the employer and represents the total amount of expenditure that they incur on an employee.

It includes monetary benefits, non-monetary benefits, retirement contributions, and other deductions. Now, since an employee only gets monetary benefits each month, their in-hand salary, also known as take-home salary, will always be lower than the CTC.

What are the Key Components of CTC?

There are three primary components to CTC - basic salary, allowances, and deductibles. Here's a quick overview of each of these three parts.

Basic Salary

It is the amount that an employer pays an employee for their services rendered to the organisation. Generally, most employers restrict the total basic pay of an employee to just 40% of their CTC. The amount an employee receives as basic pay from a company is fully taxable and forms a part of their in-hand salary.

Allowances

Allowances are basically perks that an employer offers an employee. These perks can either be in the form of cash or kind. Here's a quick look at the various allowances that an employee might receive.

  • Dearness Allowance (DA)
  • House Rent Allowance (HRA)
  • Medical Allowance
  • Conveyance Allowance
  • Entertainment Allowance
  • Other Allowances

According to the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961, certain allowances are fully exempt from tax, while others are either partially exempt or fully taxable. These allowances also form a part of an employee's in-hand salary.

Deductibles

Deductibles are the sum that an employer deducts from the total CTC of an employee for tax and other purposes. They can be of two types - tax deductions and savings contributions.

Tax deductibles are taxes that an employer deducts and pays on behalf of the employee, and that includes professional tax and income tax (in the form of TDS). Savings contributions, also known as retirement contributions, on the other hand, are amounts that are deducted and deposited in retirement schemes on behalf of the employee. It includes gratuity, Employee Provident Fund (EPF), and contributions towards superannuation benefits.

How to Calculate CTC?

There's a simple formula that organisations follow to calculate CTC. Here's what it is.

CTC = Gross Salary + Direct Benefits + Indirect Benefits + Savings Contributions or Deductions

In the formula,

  • Gross Salary = Basic salary + allowances like DA and HRA, among others
  • Direct Benefits = Monetary benefits such as incentives and bonus, among others
  • Indirect Benefits = Non-monetary benefits like insurance, leased accommodations & food coupons, among others
  • Savings Contributions = Contributions towards retirement like gratuity and provident fund Deductions =  Tax deductions like income tax and professional tax‍

Example of How CTC is Calculated

Here’s a detailed example to help you fully understand the meaning of CTC and how it is calculated.

Category 

Salary Component 

Amount (per annum)

  1. Basic Pay 

Basic Salary

₹5,20,000

  1. Allowances

Dearness Allowance


House Rent Allowance


Medical Allowance


Conveyance Allowance


Entertainment Allowance


Overtime Allowance

₹68,000


₹1,02,000


₹20,000


₹24,000


₹10,000


₹15,000

  1. Gross Salary (A + B)

₹7,59,000

  1. Direct Benefits 

Bonus


Sales Incentives

₹9,000


₹18,000

  1. Indirect Benefits 

Insurance


Food Coupons

₹9,000


₹7,000

  1. Retirement Contributions 

Provident Fund 


(12% of the Basic Salary)

₹62,400 


(12% of ₹5,20,000)

  1. Deductions 

Professional Tax


Income Tax (TDS)

₹2,500


₹14,500

  • Total CTC (C + D + E + F)

₹8,81,400

As you can clearly see, using the formula mentioned above, the total cost-to-company comes up to around ₹8,81,400.

Is CTC the Same as Take-Home Salary?

No. The take-home salary is the actual amount that the employee gets each month, whereas the CTC is the total cost to company.

The take-home salary of an employee is the amount that they receive after the deduction of tax, various benefits, and other retirement contributions. The CTC, on the other hand, includes everything from the basic salary and allowances to savings contributions and deductions. It represents the total cost that a company would incur towards an employee in a year.

Conclusion

This sums up all the key details you need to know about what CTC in salary means. You can now read your payslip better and understand how to negotiate a pay hike or how to pitch for the salary at a new job. Keep in mind that whenever you apply for a new position, the CTC is what the hiring professionals typically discuss as the pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is CTC the same as the monthly salary?

When you talk about the monthly salary, it can refer to the CTC or the take-home pay. Both these metrics are very different. The CTC is the cost the company incurs on an employee each month. But the take-home pay is the sum that you actually get in hand after all deductions and savings contributions.

2. What is an example of CTC in salary?

A simple example of CTC in salary is if your basic pay is ₹50,000, your direct benefits amount to ₹15,000, and the indirect benefits add up to ₹5,000, your CTC will be ₹70,000.

3. What is the meaning of CTC in my salary?

CTC in salary refers to the cost to company. It is the total cost that the company incurs to hire and train an individual for a specific role. This cost includes the basic pay, the direct and indirect benefits, as well as the savings contributions made.

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