Tax

TDS

Tax Deducted at Source — income tax that the payer deducts from your payment and remits to the government on your behalf.

Definition

TDS is the income tax collected upfront by the payer (employer, bank, client, tenant) at the moment of payment. It is then deposited to the government against your PAN and shows up in Form 26AS. At the end of the financial year, your actual tax is computed and TDS is adjusted against it — excess is refunded, shortfall is paid as self-assessment tax.

Common sections: 192 (salary, at slab rate), 194A (interest, 10% above ₹40K/bank/year), 194J (professional fees, 10% above ₹30K), 194I (rent, 10% above ₹2.4L), 194C (contractor, 1-2%), 194S (crypto, 1% on every sale above ₹10K). Without PAN, TDS goes to 20% across most sections.

Calculators that use this

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See all 30 glossary terms or read our Methodology for how we source these definitions.