Income Tax Exemption on Children Education Allowance

Children Education Allowance Exemption Limit in Income Tax

• Children Education Allowance (CEA): Rs. 100 per month per child up to maximum of two children

• Hostel Subsidy (HS): Rs. 300 per month per child up to maximum of two children

under section 10 (14) read with Rule 2Bb(2)(5) of the Income Tax Act.

This limit as fixed more than 2 decades back when the maximum amount of Children Education AIlowance for Central Government Employees was fixed at Rs. 100/- per month per child under the IVth Central Pay Commission. Now the current rate of this allowance is Rs.1000 per child.

Para 5.4 (A)(13) of Income Tax Circular dated 16.8.2011 indicates the details w.r.t. “Tuition Fee” which can be claimed for deduction under Section 80C. The same is reproduced below:

“A. As per section 80C, an employee will be entitled to deductions for the whole of amounts paid or deposited in the current financial year in the following schemes, subject to a limit of Rs.1,00,000/-:

13. Tuition fees, whether at the time of admission or thereafter, paid to any university, college, school or other educational institution situated in India, for the purpose of full-time education of any two children of the employee.

Full-time education includes any educational course offered by any university, college, school or other educational institution to a student who is enrolled full-time for the said course. It is also clarified that full-time education includes play-school activities, pre-nursery and nursery classes.

It is clarified that the amount allowable as tuition fees shall include any payment of fee to any university, college, school or other educational institution in India except the amount representing payment in the nature of development fees or donation or capitation fees or payment of similar nature.”

Apart from Section 80C Children’s education allowance up to Rs. 100 per month per child for a maximum of two children and Hostel expenditure allowance of Rs. 300 per month per child for a maximum of two children is exempt from Income Tax. Hence 1200 only claim in this year. However since a part of the allowance relates to previous year you can claim relief under Section 89(1).