Two deductions, not two extra taxes
When a marketplace pays you, it often deducts two things: TCS under GST, and TDS under income tax. Both sound alarming, and neither is an extra tax. They're advances against tax you already owe, collected on your behalf. You claim them back. Here's how each one works.
TCS under GST
TCS is Tax Collected at Source. The marketplace collects 1% of your net taxable sales — half as CGST, half as SGST — and deposits it against your GSTIN. It's not money lost. It sits in your electronic cash ledger, and you adjust it against the GST you owe when you file. You can only claim it if you're registered and filing.
TDS under income tax
Separately, under the income-tax rules for e-commerce, the marketplace deducts a small percentage of your sales as TDS before paying you. This is an advance on your income tax, not GST. The rate has changed in recent years, so check the current figure. It shows up in your Form 26AS, and you adjust it in your income-tax return.
Why they feel like a squeeze
Both deductions come out before the money reaches you, so your payout looks smaller than your sales. That stings for cash flow. But the deducted amounts aren't gone — they're parked against your tax accounts. Once you file and claim, they balance out. The trick is to actually file and claim them.
How to reconcile them
Match what the marketplace reports against your own records every month. For TCS, check the GST portal statement. For TDS, check Form 26AS. Mismatches happen, and they're easiest to fix early. Reconciling monthly turns tax season from a panic into a formality.
The catch that costs sellers money
You only get TCS and TDS back if you're registered and filing on time. Sellers who ignore returns leave this money stuck. It's your cash — claim it. That alone is a good reason to keep filing disciplined, even when your sales are still small.
Where clean records help
Reconciling TCS and TDS is far easier with tidy sales records. The Storemate keeps every order and its tax in one place, so matching against marketplace statements is a check, not a reconstruction. This is a starting point, not tax advice — confirm current rates and your position with a professional.