TDS & TCS on OTA Payments for Hotels

Current TDS & TCS Rates on OTA Payments

TDS (Section 194-O)
0.1%
TCS (Section 206C)
0.5%
Total Deduction
0.6%

What is TDS on OTA Payments?

TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) under Section 194-O requires e-commerce operators (OTAs) to deduct tax when making payments to hotel sellers.

Aspect Details
Section 194-O of Income Tax Act
Rate 0.1% (1% if PAN not provided)
Deducted by OTA (MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, etc.)
Deducted on Gross amount of sale (before commission)
When At the time of credit or payment, whichever is earlier

What is TCS on OTA Payments?

TCS (Tax Collected at Source) under Section 206C(1H) requires sellers receiving payments through e-commerce to have TCS collected on their behalf.

Aspect Details
Section 206C(1H) of Income Tax Act
Rate 0.5% (1% if PAN not provided)
Collected by OTA on behalf of hotel
Collected on Sale consideration exceeding ₹50 lakh in a year
Threshold Applicable after ₹50 lakh annual sales per OTA
Important: TCS applies only after your sales through a specific OTA exceed ₹50 lakh in a financial year. Below this threshold, only TDS (0.1%) applies.

TDS vs TCS: Key Differences

Factor TDS (194-O) TCS (206C)
Who deducts/collects OTA deducts from hotel OTA collects on hotel's behalf
Rate 0.1% 0.5%
Threshold No threshold After ₹50 lakh/year per OTA
Credit available Against income tax Against income tax
Reflects in Form 26AS Form 26AS

Calculation Example

Let's see how TDS and TCS affect your OTA settlement:

Booking Details

Room Rate (per night) ₹5,000
GST on Room (12%) ₹600
Guest Pays (Total) ₹5,600

OTA Deductions

Commission (20% on ₹5,000) - ₹1,000
GST on Commission (18%) - ₹180
TDS (0.1% on ₹5,600) - ₹5.60
TCS (0.5% on ₹5,600)* - ₹28
Your Settlement ₹4,386.40

*TCS applies only if annual sales exceed ₹50 lakh through this OTA

How to Claim TDS/TCS Credit

  1. Check Form 26AS: Verify TDS/TCS credits appear in your Form 26AS on the Income Tax portal
  2. Match with OTA statements: Reconcile OTA payment statements with Form 26AS entries
  3. Claim in ITR: Include these credits when filing your Income Tax Return
  4. Adjust against tax liability: TDS/TCS credits reduce your final tax payable
Pro Tip: Download monthly/quarterly TDS certificates from OTA extranets. Keep them for reconciliation and audit purposes.

What If PAN is Not Provided?

Scenario TDS Rate TCS Rate
PAN provided and valid 0.1% 0.5%
PAN not provided 1% 1%
Invalid PAN 1% 1%
10x Higher Deduction! Without valid PAN, you lose 1.5% extra on every booking. Always ensure your PAN is correctly registered with all OTAs.

OTA-wise TDS/TCS Practices

OTA TDS Deduction TCS Collection
MakeMyTrip/Goibibo Yes (0.1%) Yes (after ₹50L threshold)
Booking.com Yes (0.1%) Yes (after ₹50L threshold)
Agoda Yes (0.1%) Yes (after ₹50L threshold)
Expedia Yes (0.1%) Yes (after ₹50L threshold)
Yatra Yes (0.1%) Yes (after ₹50L threshold)

Common Issues & Solutions

1. TDS/TCS not reflecting in Form 26AS

  • Wait for quarterly updates (OTAs file returns quarterly)
  • Contact OTA partner support with booking references
  • Check if PAN is correctly linked

2. Mismatch between OTA statement and Form 26AS

  • Verify OTA's TAN (Tax Deduction Account Number)
  • Check for timing differences (accrual vs payment basis)
  • Raise ticket with OTA's finance team

3. Double deduction concerns

  • TDS and TCS are different provisions - both apply
  • Both are creditable against income tax
  • You're not losing money - it's advance tax payment
Remember: TDS and TCS are not additional costs - they're advance tax payments that you can claim back when filing your income tax return. Think of them as forced savings towards your tax liability.