Payments
Payments & payouts
How money flows on TalentOS — TDS, GST, settlements, and payout cadence.
Money flow overview
- Brand pays escrow — Razorpay / bank transfer into platform-held account
- Deliverable approved — auto or manual
- Settlement engine runs: splits the funded amount into agency commission, talent payout, taxes
- Talent payout — IMPS / NEFT / UPI to talent's verified bank account (next business day)
- Agency commission — internal ledger, paid out per your agency's payout cadence (default monthly)
- Tax remittance — TDS deposited to GoI; GST returns filed by your CA
TDS on talent payouts
TalentOS deducts TDS automatically based on the talent's profile + applicable section:
| Section | When it applies | Rate | Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 194C | Contract for service (most influencer work) | 1% (individual) / 2% (firm) | ₹30k / single or ₹1L / annual |
| 194J | Professional fees (model agency commission to model) | 10% | ₹30k / annual |
| 194O | E-commerce platform fees (us, on certain flows) | 1% | ₹5L / annual |
The platform issues Form 16A quarterly to all talent on TDS deducted. Talent can download from /wallet/tax-docs.
GST on agency commission
Your agency commission is a service supply → GST applies:
- Intra-state (agency + brand same state): CGST 9% + SGST 9% = 18%
- Inter-state (different states): IGST 18%
- Export (foreign brand): zero-rated under Section 16 of IGST Act (you can claim ITC)
GST invoices auto-generate per settlement at Finance → Invoices. They include correct HSN/SAC codes, place of supply, and tax breakdown.
Talent payout cadence
Default: payouts process within 1 business day of escrow release. Configurable per-tenant under Settings → Workflow Defaults:
- Immediate — release triggers payout instantly (default)
- Daily batch — all releases for the day bundle into one payout next morning
- Weekly — Friday consolidation, paid Monday
- Manual — admin clicks "Process payouts" — full control, slow
Cross-border payments (FEMA)
When a foreign brand pays for Indian talent's work, FEMA applies:
- Platform receives USD/SGD/AED into a EEFC account (Exchange Earner's Foreign Currency)
- FX preview shown at deal creation using live FX rates
- Conversion happens at release time using same-day spot rate + 50bps spread
- FIRC (Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate) auto-generated for the talent's tax records
- RBI reporting handled by your CA via Form A2 / 15CA-CB workflows
Wallet & payouts
Talent sees their pending + paid earnings under Wallet. Includes:
- Pending earnings (deliverables submitted but not yet released)
- Released earnings (next payout date)
- Paid earnings (settled with bank confirmation)
- Tax docs (Form 16A, GST invoices)
- Bank account management (one primary + backup)