Exempt Income - Complete List of Exempted Income under Section 10

Under Section 10, there are different sub-sections that define what kind of income is exempt from tax. This can range from agricultural income to house rent allowance.

Updated On - 24 Sep 2025

The term "Exempt Income" refers to Any income that a person gets or earns throughout the course of a financial year and is judged to be non-taxable.

  1. Exempt income can take on a variety of shapes, including interest from agricultural sources, PPF interest, long-term capital gains from shares and stocks, and much more.

According to the Income Tax Act, certain sources of income are exempt from taxation as long as they adhere to the rules and regulations established in the Act.

Exempted income differs from income tax deduction in that tax deduction refers to an amount deducted from the total income whereas exempted income refers to income that is not at all taxed. The comprehensive list can be found below.

Income Exempt from Tax as Per Section 10

about exempted income

Most income that is exempted from tax is listed under Section 10 of the Income Tax Act. This section contains a list of income that is deemed or considered to be free from taxation. Exempted income specified under Section 10 is as follows:

Section

Exemptions

Section 10(1)

Income earned through agricultural means

Section 10(2)

Any amount received by an individual through a coparcener from an HUF

Section 10(2A)

Income received by partners of a firm, as shared between them

Section 10(4)(i)

Any interest that has been paid to a person who is not a resident Indian

Section 10(4)(ii)

Any interest that has been paid to the account of a person who is not a resident Indian

Section 10(4B)

Any interest that has been paid to a person who is not a resident Indian, but of Indian origin

Section 10(5)

Concession on travel given to an employee who is also a citizen of India

Section 10(6)

Any income earned or received by a nonIndian citizen

Section 10(6A), (6B), (6BB), (6C)

Government tax paid on the income of a foreign firm

Section 10(7)

Allowances received by government employees stationed abroad

Section 10(8)

Income earned by foreign employees in India under the Cooperative Technical Assistance Program

Section 10(8A)

Income earned by a consultant

Section 10(8B)

Income earned by a consultant's staff or employees

Section 10(9)

Income earned by any family member of a foreign employee in India under the Cooperative Technical Assistance Program

Section 10(10)

Gratuity

Section 10(10A)

The commuted value of the pension earned by an individual

Section 10(10AA)

Any amount earned via encashment of leave at the time of retirement

Section 10(10B)

Compensation paid to workers due to relocation

Section 10(10BB)

Any remittance obtained as per the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster Act 1985

Section 10(10BC)

Any compensation obtained in the event of a disaster

Section 10(10C)

Compensation in lieu of retirement from a PBC or any other firm

Section 10(10CC)

Any income received through taxation on perquisites

Section 10(10D)

Any amount acquired via a Life insurance policy

Section 10(11)

Any payment received via the Statutory Provident Fund

Section 10(12)

Any payment received via a recognised or authorised Fund

Section 10(13)

Any payment received through a Superannuation Fund

Section 10(13A)

House Rent Allowance

Section 10(14)

Allowances utilised to meet business expenses

Section 10(15)

Income received in the form of interest

Section 10(15A)

Income received by an Indian firm through the lease of an aircraft from a foreign firm or government

Section 10(16)

Income in the form of a scholarship

Section 10(17)

Allowances granted to MLCs, MLAs or MPs

Section 10(17A)

Income received in the form of a government award

Section 10(18)

Income received in the form of pension by winners of awards for heroism

Section 10(19)

Income received by family members of the armed forces in the form of pension

Section 10(19A)

Income received from a single palace of an exruler

Section 10(20)

Income received by a localised body or authority

Section 10(21)

Income received by an association involved with scientific research

Section 10(22B)

Income earned by a news or broadcasting agency

Section 10(23A)

Income earned by certain Professional Institutes

Section 10(23AA)

Income acquired through Regimental Fund

Section 10(23AAA)

Income acquired through an employee welfare fund

Section 10(23MB)

Insurance pension fund income

Section 10(23B)

Income earned by village industry development institutions

Section 10(23BB)

Income earned by state level Khadi and Village Industries Board

Section 10(23BBA)

Income earned by regulatory bodies of institutions affiliated with religion and charity

Section 10(23BBB)

Income received by the European Economic Community

Section 10(23BBC)

Income received through SAARC funded regional projects

Section 10(23BBE)

Income received by the IRDA

Section 10(23BBH)

Income received through Prasar Bharti

Section 10(23C)

Income received by any individual through certain specified funds

Section 10(23D)

Income earned via Mutual Funds

Section 10(23DA)j

Income earned via a Securitisation Trust

Section 10(23EA)

Income earned through an IPF

Section 10(23EB)

Income received by the Credit Guarantee Trust for Small Industries

Section 10(23ED)

Income exemption of IPF

Section 10(23DFB)

Income exemption of specified income received by Venture Capital Firms, Funds or Businesses

Section 10(24)

Income earned by authorised trade unions

Section 10(25)

Income earned via provident funds and superannuation funds

Section 10(25A)

Income earned via Employee's State Insurance Fund

Section 10(26), 10(26A)

Income earned by Schedule Tribe Members

Section 10(26AAN)

Income earned by an individual of Sikkimese origin

Section 10(26AAB)

Marketing regulation with regards to agricultural produce

Section 10(26B)

Income earned by corporations established for the upliftment of backward tribes and classes

Section 10(26BB)

Income earned by corporations established for the protection of Minority interests

Section 10(26BBB)

Income earned by corporations established for former servicemen

Section 10(27)

Income earned by cooperative societies established for protection of scheduled castes and tribes interests

Section 10(29A)

Income received by Community Boards

Section 10(30)

Income earned in the form of subsidies via the Tea Board

Section 10(31)

Income earned in the form of subsidies via the concerned Board

Section 10(32)

Income earned by a child in accordance with Section 64 of the Income Tax Act

Section 10(33)

Income earned through Unit Trust of India capital asset transfer

Section 10(34)

Income earned in the form of dividends through an Indian firm

Section 10(34A)

Income earned by a shareholder through the buyback of unlisted companies

Section 10(35)

Income received through the sale or transfer of Unit Trust of India units as well as other mutual funds

Section 10(35A)

Income from a securitisation trust that is exempt

Section 10(36)

Income received on the sale of shares under specific conditions

Section 10(37)

Any capital gains made on the mandatory acquirement of land in relation to urban agriculture

Section 10(38)

Any long term capital gains made from share and security transfers that fall under the purview of Security Transaction Tax

Section 10(39)

Any income received from any international event or function relating to sports

Section 10(40)

Any income acquired in the form of a grant from a company deemed to be a subsidiary of the parent company

Section 10(41)

Any income received on any asset transfer of a company or project that conducts power distribution, generation and transmission

Section 10(42)

Any income earned by any authority that has been established by more than one country

Section 10(43)

Any income in relation to reversal of mortgage

Section 10(44)

Income generated through the NPS Trust

Section 10(45)

Any allowance or perks granted to the chairman or any member of the UPSC

Section 10(46)

Any income that comes under the category of 'specified income' with regards to specific authoritative bodies

Section 10(47)

Any income that is exempt under the category of infrastructure debt fund

Section 10(48)

Any income earned by a foreign firm or company due to crude oil sales within India

Section 10(49)

Any income earned by the NFHC (National Finance Holdings Company)

Examples of Exempted Income under Section 10

  • Income from Agriculture: Any income earned from agricultural activities within India is tax-exempt under Section 10(1).
  • House Rent Allowance (HRA): HRA exemptions depend on factors like the actual HRA received, the rent paid, and components of your salary.
  • Income for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF): Money received by a member of an HUF or from an impartible estate is exempt under Section 10(2).
  • Profits from Partnership Shares: Profits given to a partner by a partnership firm are exempt under Section 10(2A).
  • Interest Earned by Non-Residents (NRIs): Certain types of interest earned by NRIs are exempt from tax under Section 10(4).

Eligibility Criteria to Claim Deduction under Section 10

  1. Individuals under the age of 60 years are usually eligible for a basic tax exemption limit of Rs.2.50 lakh.
  2. The exemption is capped at up to Rs.3 lakh in case of senior citizens.
  3. However, all Indian salaried professionals are subject to the many conditions and subsections outlined in Section 10 of the Income Tax Act.

Documents Required to Claim Deduction under Section 10

In case you are eligible for Section 10 income tax exemption, you must file an income tax return to notify the government. You need to submit the following documents:

  1. Aadhaar card
  1. Bank statement/bank passbook
  1. Login information for income taxes
  1. PAN card

Disclosure of Exempted Income for Salary Allowances

Those individuals or taxpayers who receive income in the form of salaries are permitted specific allowances that are non-taxable. Disclosure of this type of exempted income is required to be made under ''Schedule S - Details of Income from Salary'' when filing tax returns under ITR-2.

Exemptions allowed under the following heads are required to be disclosed by a salaried individual when filing his or her income tax returns:

  1. House Rent Allowance (HRA)
  2. Leave Travel Allowance (LTA)
  3. Encashment of Leave
  4. Pension
  5. Gratuity
  6. Voluntary Retirement Scheme
  7. Perquisites

Disclosure of Exempted Income for Non-Salary Allowances

The Income Tax Act additionally lists specific non-salary income categories that are tax-exempt. These earnings include dividends, revenue from farming, interest on savings, and capital gains, among others.

When submitting tax returns using ITR-1, the taxpayer must disclose certain sorts of income under "Schedule EI - Details of Exempt Income."

Why You Must Disclose Exempt Income: Legal and Financial Impact

  1. Many people neglect to declare information about this type of income since certain money is exempt from taxes.
  2. However, since they won't be able to identify the source of such revenue, anyone who fail to provide these details risk being scanned by the Income Tax Department.

FAQs on Exempt Income

  • What types of income are exempt from tax in India?

    Income such as agricultural earnings, dividends, interest from specified investments, and tax-free capital gains are exempt under Section 10. These should be disclosed in ITR Schedule EI.

  • Which incomes are covered under Section 10 exemptions?

    Section 10 covers exemptions like agricultural income, specific life insurance payouts, and allowances such as HRA and LTA.

  • Is it mandatory to declare exempt income in ITR?

    Yes, all income including exempt income must be declared in the ITR for accurate tax assessment.

  • Which salary allowances are exempt under Section 10?

    HRA, LTA, Transport Allowance, and Uniform Allowance are commonly exempt under Section 10. Conditions apply.

  • What are the benefits of claiming tax exemptions?

    Tax exemptions help reduce taxable income legally, offering savings on income tax liability.

  • How to declare exempt income while filing ITR?

    In ITR-1, declare exempt income under Schedule EI or the "Exempt Income" column in the relevant section.

  • Is House Rent Allowance (HRA) fully exempt from tax?

    HRA is partially exempt under Section 10(13A); exemption depends on salary, rent paid, and city of residence.

  • Which ITR should be filed if only exempt income is earned?

    File ITR-1 for exempt income below ₹5,000. If agricultural income exceeds ₹5,000, use ITR-2.

  • Is the maturity amount from life insurance taxable under Section 10(10D)?

    No, maturity proceeds are exempt if the premium doesn’t exceed 10% of the sum assured annually.

  • What is the maximum limit of tax exemption under Section 10(10D)?

    For ULIPs, exemption applies if total premiums are ≤ ₹2.5 lakh annually; for other policies, the limit is Rs.5 lakh annually.

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