Every individual working in the registered sector in India has to pay a specific amount of applicable tax on their income. Now you may wonder what about individuals earning from unregulated means like commissions and brokerages.

Since these also constitute a source of income, therefore commissions and brokerages are also subject to TDS deduction under Section 194H of Income Tax in India.

Section 194H of Income Tax Act deals with TDS levied on the earnings received as commission or brokerage. This commission is the amount paid to an entity for rendering services during a sale or purchase.

Both individuals and HUFs are liable to pay this tax. It is applicable on income exceeding ₹ 15000 p.a. 

TAN of the deductor and PAN of the deductee are the most important documents for TDS deduction.

An authorised entity can deduct TDS on brokerage under Section 194H in the following cases:

• Crediting the commission in the account of the resident payee.
• Paying commission in any suspense account through cash, cheque, or draft.

TDS is the tax deducted at source on the amount payable to the service provider. It is then remitted to the Central Government of India. Only authorised entities can deduct TDS. Neither an individual nor a HUF (Hindu Undivided Family) can do so. The 194H threshold limit of deduction is ₹ 15000.

The session of TDS deduction is from April to February. The 7th day of every month is the TDS deposit date for all transactions in the previous month. For instance, if TDS on brokerage is deducted on 15th December, it should be deposited with the Government before 7th January.

If the Government deducts the TDS, then the amount should be deposited on the same day.

TDS rate on brokerage under Section 194H is 3.5% and 5%.  However, if the payee cannot provide PAN details, the TDS deduction will be 20%.

Additional surcharge and education cess are not imposed on the TDS rate.  However, different sections under TDS have different rates of deductions. 194H TDS rates changes in the different fiscal year.

Commission or brokerage is a broad term that comprises the amount received by an individual for working on behalf of another entity. For instance, a building owner is selling his house to a buyer, and you are connecting the buyer and the seller. Then the amount you will get from them is commission. TDS deduction will be applicable if the payer is authorized for TDS deduction.

Parameters considered as commission under section 194H are:

• Service-related to selling or buying of any product.
• Any service apart from specialized service.
• Transaction linking assets or prized articles

Under 194H TDS on commission, an entity can claim lower or Nil deduction when the amount deducted is higher than the total amount liable as income tax in a fiscal year. To apply for such a deduction, you have to file Form 13 and submit it online to the income tax department.

Exemption of TDS deduction takes place in the following cases:

• Brokerage is less than or equal to ₹ 15,000 in a financial year.
• An employer is paying salary or commission to the employee (comes under Section 192 and not 194H).
• Commission on insurance income and loan underwriting.
• An individual with a lower or nil TDS certificate from an authorized body will enjoy TDS exemption for all services.
•  Paying financial corporations under the range of central finance.
• Charges imposed for warehouse services.
• Interest from the NRI account.
• Payments done by the Reserve Bank of India to any bank.
• Income by interest from any savings with bank and post office.
• Brokerage for providing security to the public.
• Commission imposed on the transaction by using debit or credit card in between an acquirer bank and merchant organization.

TDS deduction is a vast chapter. There are different sections under TDS; however, here, we have a focus on section 194H. All this information will help you know the exemption scenarios, applicability, and tax limitations on brokerage services.