How to track your creator income month by month

By the My Collabs team · 31 October 2026

When income arrives from many brands, at different times, with TDS deducted and sometimes GST added, it's easy to lose track. A simple monthly routine takes about 30 minutes and saves hours at tax time, and it makes sure no brand quietly forgets to pay you.

What to record for every deal

Brand (and agency, if any) and the campaign name
Agreed fee, and whether it's plus GST
Deliverables and the posting date
Invoice number, invoice date and due date
Amount received, the date, and any TDS deducted
Barter products and their value

The monthly routine

Update every deal's status: discussion, in progress, delivered or paid.
Raise invoices for everything delivered this month that hasn't been invoiced.
Match payments to invoices using your bank statement. Note the exact amount received.
Note TDS. If the amount received is lower than the invoice, the difference is often TDS. Record it, and ask the brand for the TDS certificate.
Chase anything overdue using our late payment steps.
Record expenses: equipment, props, travel, editing software and help you paid for. Keep the bills.
Move money aside for tax into a separate account, so tax season isn't a shock.

Check your TDS credits

Tax deducted by brands should show against your PAN in your annual tax statement on the income-tax portal. A few times a year, compare it with your own records. If a brand deducted TDS but it doesn't show up, ask them to file or correct it, so you get the credit.

Watch your totals

GST: for service providers, registration generally becomes mandatory once annual turnover crosses ₹20 lakh (₹10 lakh in some special-category states). Keep a running total.
Advance tax: if your tax for the year will be above a certain amount, you may need to pay it in instalments during the year. An accountant can tell you whether this applies.

See the bigger picture

Once a quarter, look at which brands pay best, which pay late, and which formats earn the most for the time they take. Raise your rates where demand is strongest, and ask for advances from brands that paid late before.

Let an app do the adding up. My Collabs keeps each deal's agreed amount, payments received and pending balance, groups payments by month, and warns you about overdue dates, so the monthly routine is mostly a quick review.

Track every collab in one place. My Collabs is a free app that shows what each brand has agreed, paid and still owes you, with alerts before deadlines.

Try My Collabs free

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change, so check the current position or ask a professional for your situation.