Freelancing gives you freedom and a tax life that is entirely yours to manage — no employer deducting neatly every month. Here is the full picture on one page.

Your income is business income

Freelance receipts are professional income: file the appropriate ITR, claim genuine work expenses (equipment, software, internet, workspace share, travel) and keep evidence for each.

The presumptive shortcut

Eligible professionals below the notified receipts limit can declare the prescribed percentage as income under the presumptive scheme — dramatically simpler, and often tax-efficient too. Compare both routes annually.

Four things clients will do to you

  • Deduct TDS on your fees — reconcile 26AS and claim every rupee
  • Ask for invoices — number them properly; it is your legal record
  • Pay late — advance tax is still your duty on time
  • Sometimes sit abroad — export-of-service rules and foreign remittance documentation enter the picture

The quarterly rhythm that works

Set aside a fixed percentage of every receipt, pay advance tax by each instalment date, reconcile TDS quarterly — and filing season becomes a formality.

We run tax for independent professionals — ITR filing · free consultation.