Section 194J | TDS on Professional or Technical Fees

194J. (1) Any person, not being an individual or a Hindu undivided family, who is responsible for paying to a resident any sum by way of-

• fees for professional services, or
• fees for technical services, or

(ba) any remuneration or fees or commission by whatever name called, other than those on which tax is deductible under section 192, to a director of a company, or

• royalty, or
• any sum referred to in clause (va) of section 28,

shall, at the time of credit of such sum to the account of the payee or at the time of payment thereof in cash or by issue of a cheque or draft or by any other mode, whichever is earlier, deduct an amount equal to ⁵⁵[two per cent of such sum in case of fees for technical services (not being a professional services) or royalty where such royalty is in the nature of consideration for sale, distribution or exhibition of cinematographic films and ten per cent of such sum in other cases,] as income-tax on income comprised therein :

Provided that no deduction shall be made under this section-

• from any sums as aforesaid credited or paid before the 1st day of July, 1995; or
• where the amount of such sum or, as the case may be, the aggregate of the amounts of such sums credited or paid or likely to be credited or paid during the financial year by the aforesaid person to the account of, or to, the payee, does not exceed-
  • thirty thousand rupees, in the case of fees for professional services referred to in clause (a), or
  • thirty thousand rupees, in the case of fees for technical services referred to in clause (b), or
  • thirty thousand rupees, in the case of royalty referred to in clause (c), or
  • thirty thousand rupees, in the case of sum referred to in clause (d) :

Provided further that an individual or a Hindu undivided family, whose total sales, gross receipts or turnover from the business or profession carried on by him exceed ⁵⁶[one crore rupees in case of business or fifty lakh rupees in case of profession] during the financial year immediately preceding the financial year in which such sum by way of fees for professional services or technical services is credited or paid, shall be liable to deduct income-tax under this section :

Provided also that no individual or a Hindu undivided family referred to in the second proviso shall be liable to deduct income-tax on the sum by way of fees for professional services in case such sum is credited or paid exclusively for personal purposes of such individual or any member of Hindu undivided family:

Provided also that the provisions of this section shall have effect, as if for the words "ten per cent", the words "two per cent" had been substituted in the case of a payee, engaged only in the business of operation of call centre.

(2) [***]
(3) [***]

Explanation.- For the purposes of this section,-

• "professional services" means services rendered by a person in the course of carrying on legal, medical, engineering or architectural profession or the profession of accountancy or technical consultancy or interior decoration or advertising or such other profession as is notified by the Board for the purposes of section 44AA or of this section;
• "fees for technical services" shall have the same meaning as in Explanation 2 to clause (vii) of sub-section (1) of section 9;

(ba) "royalty" shall have the same meaning as in Explanation 2 to clause (vi) of sub-section (1) of section 9;

• where any sum referred to in sub-section (1) is credited to any account, whether called "suspense account" or by any other name, in the books of account of the person liable to pay such sum, such crediting shall be deemed to be credit of such sum to the account of the payee and the provisions of this section shall apply

1) Who is responsible to deduct tax u/s 194J?

Any person, not being an individual or a HUF, who is responsible for paying to a resident any sum by way of:-

1. Fees for professional Services

Professions are notified under section 44AA

• Accountancy
• Architectural
• Authorised Representative
• Company Secretary
• Engineering
• Film Artists/Actors, Cameraman, Director, Singer, Story-writer
• Interior Decoration
• Legal
• Medical
• Technical Consultancy

2. Fees for technical services
3. Royalty
4. Any sum referred to in clause (va) of section 28

clause (va) of section 28

"any sum, whether received or receivable, in cash or kind, under an agreement for -

• not carrying out any activity in relation to any business; or
• not sharing any know-how, patent, copyright, trade-mark, license, franchise or any other business or commercial right of similar nature or information or technique likely to assist in the manufacture or processing of goods or provision for services

Any remuneration or fees or commission by whatever name called, other than those on which tax is deductible under section 192, to a director of a company.

However, an individual or a HUF is liable to deduct TDS under section 194J, if total sales, gross receipts or turnover exceed one crore rupees in case of business or fifty lakh rupees in case of profession during the financial year immediately preceding the financial year in which such sum for professional or technical services is credited or paid.

• Reimbursement of expense: TDS not liable to be deducted on pure reimbursements when separate bill is
• Fees for professional services means services rendered by person carrying on legal, medical, engineering or architectural profession or the profession of accountancy or technical consultancy or interior decoration or advertising or film artist.
• TDS u/s.194J not to be deducted on subsequent sale of software without modification - Notification No.21/2012 dtd. 06.2012.

ILLUSTRATION

XYZ Co., a partnership firm took consultancy from an engineer located at Sydney. The firm has paid fees of Rs.80000 to the engineer. Should the firm deduct Tax at source under section 194J from the fees paid to the engineer?

In this case, the professional fees are paid to non-resident and hence, tax is not to be deducted under section 194J. However, section 195 requires deduction of tax at source from payment made to non-resident if such payment is chargeable to tax. Hence, the firm may require to deduct tax at source under section 195. For such purpose provisions of tax treaty was to be considered.

2) Threshold limit for deducting tax

Tax has to be deducted in case the payment is greater than Rs. 30,000 during the Such Rs. 30,000 is the maximum limit which is applicable to each item or payment independently.

Example: Firm XYZ paid Rs. 25,000/- as fees for technical services and Rs. 20,000/- as professional charges to Mr. Red. Here firm XYZ is not liable to deduct TDS from payments made to Mr. Red as Rs. 30,000/- limit is separate for each item, namely fees for technical services and professional charges.

TDS under this section is also applicable on commission or remuneration or fees given to a company's director. In these cases, the Rs. 30,000 limit is not

3) When to Deduct TDS under Section 194J?

The tax should be deducted at the time of passing such entry in the accounts or making the actual payment of the expense, whichever earlier.

4) Rate of TDS under Section 194J

Finance Act: TDS on Royalties where such royalty is in the nature of consideration for sale, distribution or exhibition of a cinematographic film will also be subjected to TDS @2%

5) Applying for TDS at a Lower Rate

According to Section 197, the person receiving payment can apply for a reduction of rate in TDS, through filling in the Form 13 and sending it to the assessing officer. If approved by the officer, a certificate stating a deduction in the TDS is issued to the assessee.