<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2015-07-01</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001051771</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BELK INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>NONE</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001061636</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>GAMBRELL SARAH BELK</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O BELK, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>2801 WEST TYVOLA ROAD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>CHARLOTTE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NC</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>28217</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2015-07-01</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>G</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>760000</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.00</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>6154895</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1140080</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Trusts u/w W.H. Belk</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1436385</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Trusts u/w Mary I. Belk</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>186078</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Gambrell Legacy, LLC</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class B Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>454</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Gambrell Legacy, LLC</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">760,000 shares of Class A common stock were gifted by Reporting Person.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">6,154,895 shares of Class A common stock are held in the name of Sarah Belk Gambrell, as Trustee of the Sarah Belk Gambrell Restated 1999 Revocable Trust.  Voting and investment power is held by Sarah Belk Gambrell, the trustee.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">1,140,080 shares of Class A common stock are held in several trusts established by the Will of W.H. Belk for the benefit of his children.  Voting and investment power of the trust for Thomas M. Belk is held by Sarah Belk Gambrell, Katherine Belk Morris, Thomas M. Belk, Jr., H.W. McKay Belk and John R. Belk.  Voting and investment power of the trust for John M. Belk is held by Sarah Belk Gambrell, Mary Claudia Belk Pilon, Jeffrey N. Pilon, Katherine Belk Morris and Susan N. Jamison.  Voting and investment power of the trust for Sarah Belk Gambrell is held by Sarah Belk Gambrell, Sally Belk Gambrell, Larry D. Estridge, Carl Belk and Susan N. Jamison.  Voting and investment power of the trusts for W. H. Belk, Jr. and Henderson Belk is shared by Sarah Belk Gambrell and Irwin Belk.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">1,436,385 shares of Class A common stock are held in several trusts established by the Will of Mary I. Belk for the benefit of her children.  Voting and investment power of the trusts for John M. Belk and Thomas M. Belk is held by Sarah Belk Gambrell.  Voting and investment power of the trusts for Sarah Belk Gambrell, W.H. Belk, Jr. and Henderson Belk is shared by Sarah Belk Gambrell and Irwin Belk.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">186,078 shares of Class A common stock are held in the name of Gambrell Legacy, LLC.  Voting and investment power is vested in the managers Sarah Belk Gambrell, Sally Belk Gambrell and Larry D. Estridge.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">454 shares of Class B common stock are held in the name of Gambrell Legacy, LLC. Voting and investment power is vested in the managers Sarah Belk Gambrell, Sally Belk Gambrell and Larry D. Estridge.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Sarah Belk Gambrell by Holly C. Williamson, P.A.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2015-07-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
