TDS for influencers: what it is and how to enter it

By the My Collabs team · 2 November 2026

You agreed ₹12,000 with a brand, but only ₹10,800 reached your bank. Nobody "forgot" ₹1,200: the brand most likely deducted TDS (tax deducted at source) and paid it to the Income Tax Department in your name. It is still your money, and you get credit for it when you file your return. This guide explains TDS in plain language and shows how to record it in My Collabs so your pending amount stays correct.

What is TDS?

When a business pays a creator for content or services above certain limits, Indian tax law often requires it to deduct a small percentage of the payment and deposit it with the government against your PAN. It works like an advance payment of your income tax.

The agreed fee stays the same. TDS is part of it, not an extra charge.
You receive the fee minus TDS in your bank.
The TDS shows up against your PAN on the income-tax portal (Form 26AS / AIS), and you get credit for it when you file your income tax return (ITR).

Common rates you'll see

The rate depends on how the brand classifies the payment, so check the TDS certificate or ask the brand's finance team. The ones creators see most often:

Rate	Usually used for
10%	Fees for professional services, which is how many brands treat paid influencer work. Also the usual rate on free products or other benefits above the yearly limit.
2%	Some contract or technical-service payments (for example, to a company or firm).
1%	Contract work paid to an individual, such as content production under an advertising contract.
20%	When the brand doesn't have your PAN. Always give your PAN to avoid this.

Thresholds, rates and section numbers change from time to time (India's new Income-tax Act applies from April 2026). Treat this table as a guide and confirm with your TDS certificate or a chartered accountant.

A worked example

Agreed fee (commercial amount)	₹12,000
TDS at 10%	₹1,200
Paid into your bank	₹10,800
Still pending	₹0: the deal is fully settled

If GST is shown separately on your invoice, TDS is normally worked out on the fee before GST.

How to enter TDS in My Collabs, step by step

Open the collaboration. On the dashboard, tap the collab, then tap the edit (pencil) icon. For a new deal, tap Add collab.
Commercial amount: enter the full agreed fee, for example 12000. Don't reduce it for TDS.
Amount received: enter only what actually reached your bank, for example 10800. If nothing has been paid yet, leave it at 0.
TDS deducted: enter the TDS amount, for example 1200. Or tap a quick button (1%, 2% or 10%) to fill it in from the commercial amount.
Save. Pending becomes ₹12,000 − ₹10,800 − ₹1,200 = ₹0, and you can set the status to Payment Cleared.

After saving, the collab card shows "TDS: ₹1,200 incl." under the amount, and your dashboard shows your total TDS deducted across all collabs, which is handy at tax time.

Tip: if you know TDS will be deducted but the brand hasn't paid yet, enter the TDS now. Pending then shows exactly what should reach your bank (₹10,800 in the example).

How to check and claim your TDS

Ask for the TDS certificate (Form 16A). Brands issue it every quarter. It shows the amount, the rate and your PAN.
Check the income-tax portal. Log in at incometax.gov.in and open Form 26AS or the Annual Information Statement (AIS). Every brand's TDS should appear against your PAN.
Compare with My Collabs. Your dashboard's "TDS deducted" total should match. If a brand deducted TDS but it's missing on the portal, ask them to file or correct their TDS return.
Claim it in your ITR. When you file your income tax return, the TDS is credited against the tax you owe. If more tax was deducted than you owe, you get a refund.

Common mistakes to avoid

Entering the bank amount as the commercial amount. Your income is the full fee; TDS is tax already paid on it.
Leaving the gap as "pending" forever. Record it as TDS so your pending amount is real money you still need to chase.
Not sharing your PAN. Without it, TDS can be deducted at a much higher rate.
Not checking Form 26AS / AIS. If the TDS isn't there, you can't claim it.

Track every collab in one place. My Collabs is a free app that shows what each brand has agreed, paid, deducted as TDS 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.