Before making a payment — salary, rent, professional fees, contractor invoices — the first question is whether TDS applies at all. Applicability depends on three things: the type of payment, the threshold limit for that category, and the status of the recipient (individual, company, resident, non-resident).
Our free TDS Applicability Checker walks through this in under a minute for any payment type.
Rent falls under Section 194I, professional/technical fees under 194J, contractor payments under 194C, and commission or brokerage under 194H. Each has its own threshold and rate — getting the section wrong is one of the most common causes of incorrect TDS deduction.
The deductor becomes liable for the TDS amount, plus interest under Section 201(1A), and the expense may be disallowed under Section 40(a)(ia) for income tax purposes.
No — TDS is generally not required if total payments in a financial year stay below the specified threshold for that category, though some sections have no threshold at all.
Yes — if the recipient doesn't provide a valid PAN, TDS is deducted at a higher rate (often 20%) regardless of the normal rate for that section.
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