Basic wages + war risk allowance + FCY top-up with §10(6)(viii) exemption for non-resident seafarers, shore leave + repatriation leave, voyage completion bonus, 4-on-4-off watch shifts. For ship management companies and direct-employed crews.
Each row is a pain point we've heard from operators in this vertical — and the specific FastLegal Payroll feature that addresses it.
ProblemCrew gets a base wage in INR + a top-up in USD on board — generic payroll can't model two currencies.
FastLegal solvesFCY Top-up is a built-in salary component, non-taxable for non-resident seafarers (≥ 183 days outside India) per Section 10(6)(viii) of the Income-tax Act.
ProblemWar risk allowance is paid for high-risk voyage areas but treated as ad-hoc reimbursement.
FastLegal solvesWar Risk Allowance is a built-in salary component (₹15,000/mo default). Recurring, taxable for residents, exempt for non-residents in qualifying voyages.
ProblemShore leave (post-voyage rest) and repatriation leave (end-of-contract) aren't in generic leave templates.
FastLegal solvesShore Leave (120 days/year, paid, encashable) and Repatriation Leave (30 days/year, paid) pre-loaded on the Shipping profile.
ProblemVoyage completion bonus paid when a contract finishes — manual one-off transfer with no audit trail.
FastLegal solvesVoyage Completion Bonus is a built-in ad-hoc bonus type (₹50,000 default). Recorded on the payslip with the voyage reference; audit-logged.
ProblemFamily allotment (crew can opt to have a % of wage paid directly to dependant) handled outside payroll.
FastLegal solvesFamily Remittance is a built-in non-taxable reimbursement component. Recipient bank account configured per crew member; engine routes the allotment automatically.
ProblemWatch shifts (4-on-4-off pattern: 00-04, 04-08, 08-12, 12-16, 16-20, 20-24) need 6 shift templates.
FastLegal solvesThree watch templates pre-loaded covering all six 4-hour periods (W1 00-04 / 12-16, W2 04-08 / 16-20, W3 08-12 / 20-24).
Indian-resident seafarers are taxed on global income; non-resident seafarers (≥ 183 days outside India in the tax year) get the §10(6)(viii) FCY exemption. FastLegal models both. Status determined annually per crew member's actual sailing days.
The maritime industry's leave pattern is different from shore-based work: long sailing rotations followed by long shore rest. FastLegal pre-loads the right leave types and the contract-completion bonus.
16 designations covering the typical maritime hierarchy: Master / Captain, Chief Officer, Second Officer, Third Officer, Chief Engineer, Second/Third Engineer, ETO, Bosun, AB / Able Seaman, Oiler, Wiper, Chief Cook, Steward (Crew) + Shore Superintendent, Fleet Manager (Shore).
FastLegal Payroll references each of these frameworks correctly in its payslips, PDFs and statutory exports.
Maritime wage standards, overtime at 1.5× ordinary rate, hours of rest minimums.
Foreign currency salary of non-resident seafarers (≥ 183 days outside India) tax-exempt.
Crew certification, watch-keeping standards (4-on-4-off, 6-on-6-off etc.).
Section 392 for resident seafarers' shore-side salary.
Minimum wages, leave entitlements, repatriation rights for seafarers.
Section 10(6)(viii) of the Income-tax Act exempts the salary received in foreign currency by a non-resident seafarer for services rendered outside India. To qualify, the seafarer must be non-resident under §6 (typically ≥ 183 days outside India in the tax year). FastLegal pre-loads FCY Top-up as the salary component to use for this — non-taxable for NR seafarers, taxable for residents.
Yes. Family Remittance is a built-in non-taxable reimbursement component. Configure the recipient bank account (typically the crew member's spouse or parent) per crew member; specify the allotment amount. When payroll runs, the engine routes the allotment directly to the dependant's bank account.
Three 4-hour watch shifts pre-loaded covering all six watch periods: W1 (00-04 and 12-16), W2 (04-08 and 16-20), W3 (08-12 and 20-24). Assign per crew member's actual watch in the roster; engine pays night differentials for hours between 22:00-06:00 regardless of which watch.
Voyage Completion Bonus is a built-in ad-hoc Bonus Type (₹50,000 default). When a crew member's voyage ends, create a Bonus Grant; engine adds it to the next payslip. Reason field captures the voyage reference (Vessel name + voyage number); audit-logged.
Merchant Shipping Act § 76 sets OT at 1.5× ordinary rate for hours beyond 8/day. FastLegal's Maritime OT policy applies these defaults (weekday 1.5×, holiday 2×, weekly cap 14h). Hours of rest minimums (per STCW: 10h/day, 77h/week) tracked via attendance.
Create a workspace, bootstrap the standard Indian defaults (leave types, salary structure, holidays for two years), add your first employee, and run May payroll — all before your evening chai.