Chosen theme: Tax Planning for Indian Freelancers. Welcome to a practical, friendly space where independent professionals in India learn to keep more of what they earn—without losing sleep. Stay with us, share your questions, and subscribe to get crisp, timely tax insights tailored to your freelance life.
Map Your Income, Reduce Surprises
Separate professional fees, productized services, affiliate payouts, ad revenue, royalties, reimbursements, and interest. Correct classification guides your deductions, GST decisions, and advance-tax planning. Comment with your income mix, and we’ll share a simple mapping sheet you can adapt.
Map Your Income, Reduce Surprises
Indian clients often deduct TDS on professional payments under applicable sections before crediting you. Reconcile Form 26AS and AIS with your books monthly to catch gaps early. Missed credits or short deductions can derail cash flow—ask for our reconciliation checklist in the comments.
Map Your Income, Reduce Surprises
When billing overseas, track contracts, scopes of work, SWIFT advice, and FIRC/e-FIRC. Confirm your place-of-supply logic and currency conversion basis. If foreign tax is withheld, explore DTAA relief and Form 67. Share your cross-border questions, and subscribe for a deep-dive guide next week.
Home office and utilities
If you work from home, apportion rent, electricity, internet, and maintenance by reasonable floor-area or usage ratios. Keep a simple worksheet, photos of your workspace, and utility bills. Ask for our apportionment template in the comments, and we’ll send it in the next newsletter.
Tools, learning, and depreciation
Record laptops, monitors, phones, mics, and cameras as assets and claim depreciation as per rules. Subscriptions to design tools, cloud storage, and learning platforms are revenue expenses. Track serial numbers and invoices—then tell us which tools you love so we can feature reader picks.
Advance Tax, Regimes, and Presumptive Choices
Estimate your yearly profit, set aside a tax bucket, and pay in quarterly installments to avoid interest under relevant sections. Aarav, a designer from Pune, stopped last-minute scrambles by calendarizing payments. Want his template reminder system? Ask below and subscribe for the walkthrough.
Do you need to register?
Assess your turnover, client requirements, and the nature and location of your supplies. Many freelancers register to work with larger clients or to export services smoothly. Unsure about thresholds and exemptions? Comment with your city and services, and we’ll share a tailored explainer.
Exports and LUT for zero tax outflow
When exporting services, furnishing a Letter of Undertaking can help avoid paying IGST on eligible supplies. Maintain contracts, invoices, LUT acknowledgement, and FIRC. Want a pre-send checklist for error-free exports? Say “LUT checklist” below and watch your inbox after subscribing.
Invoice essentials that pass scrutiny
Use sequential invoice numbers, correct SAC, clear place-of-supply, and consistent descriptions. Align dates with actual delivery milestones. Ask for our freelancer invoice template, and we’ll include it with formatting tips in this week’s subscriber pack.
Include your legal name, address, PAN, GSTIN if applicable, bank details, payment terms, and scope of work. Keep service descriptions specific but concise. Want a one-page style guide clients compliment? Comment “style guide” and we’ll share it with subscribers.
Get Paid Right: Invoicing, TDS, and Reconciliation