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Chapter XIX - Collection and Recovery of Tax

Section 402

Section 402: definitions for the collection and recovery of tax chapter

Section 402 supplies definitions for Chapter XIX. It distinguishes the buyer and seller categories for particular TDS/TCS rows and defines rent, work, commission, professional services and the turnover-based categories used in source-tax rules. Apply each definition in its stated context.

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This article is for general information. Refer to the Income-tax Act, 2025 as amended by the Finance Act, 2026 and the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2026 for the official provisions. If you need professional advice for your situation, contact Bizeneed.

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Statutory text

Bare law

For the purposes of this Chapter,—

(1) “Administrator” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in section 2(a) of the Unit Trust of India (Transfer of Undertaking and Repeal) Act, 2002 (58 of 2002);

(2) “agricultural land” means agricultural land in India,— (a) not being a land situated in any area referred to in section 2(22) (iii), for the purposes of section 393(1) [Table: Sl. No. 3(i)]; (b) including a land situated in any area referred to in section 2(22) (iii), for the purposes of section 393(1) [Table: Sl. No. 3(iii)];

(3) “an incorrect claim apparent from any information in the statement” shall mean a claim, on the basis of an entry, in the statement— (a) of an item, which is inconsistent with another entry of the same or some other item in such statement; (b) in respect of rate of deduction of tax at source or rate of collection of tax at source, where such rate is not as per the provisions of the Act;

(4) “authorised dealer” means a person authorised by the Reserve Bank of India under section 10(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999) to deal in foreign exchange or foreign security;

(5) “banking company” means a banking company to which the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949) applies;

(6) “buyer” for the purposes of provisions in column B of the Table below means any person as specified in column C but does not include any person as specified in column D:—

Sl. No.ProvisionsPersonPerson not to be included
1Purchase of goods referred to in section 393(1) [Table: Sl. No. 8(ii)].A person whose total sales, gross receipts or turnover from the business carried on by him exceed ten crore rupees during the tax year immediately preceding the tax year in which the purchase of goods is carried out.Any person, as the Central Government may notify for this purpose, subject to conditions as may be specified therein.
2Sale of goods referred to in section 394(1) (Table: Sl. Nos. 1 to 5).A person who obtains in any sale, by way of auction, tender or any other mode, goods of the nature specified in section 394(1) (Table: Sl. Nos. 1 to 5), or the right to receive any such goods.(a) A public sector company; or (b) the Central or a State Government, and an embassy, a High Commission, legation, commission, consulate and the trade representation, of a foreign State; or (c) a club; or (d) a buyer in the retail sale of such goods purchased by him for personal consumption.
3Sale of motor vehicle or any other goods referred to in section 394(1) (Table: Sl. No. 6).A person who obtains in any sale, goods of the nature specified in section 394(1) (Table: Sl. No. 6).(a) A person as specified in Sl. No. 2.D(b); or (b) a local authority as defined at Schedule III (Table: Sl. No. 22); or (c) a public sector company which is engaged in the business of carrying passengers.
4Remittance under Liberalised Remittance Scheme referred to in section 394(1) (Table: Sl. No. 7).A person remitting amount under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme of Reserve Bank of India.(a) A person as per Sl. No. 2.D(a) or Sl. No. 3.D(b); (b) Any other person as the Central Government may notify for this purpose subject to such conditions as may be specified therein.
5Sale of overseas tour programme package referred to in section 394(1) (Table: Sl. No. 8).A person who purchases overseas tour programme package.A person as per Sl. No. 4.D.

(7) “commission or brokerage” includes any payment received or receivable, directly or indirectly, by a person acting on behalf of another person,— (a) for services rendered (not being professional services); or (b) for any services in the course of buying or selling of goods; or (c) in relation to any transaction relating to any asset, valuable article or thing, not being securities;

(8) “computer resource”, “internet” and “online game” shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in section 194(2);

(9) “consideration for transfer of any immovable property” shall include all charges of the nature of,— (a) club membership fee; or (b) car parking fee; or (c) electricity or water facility fee; or (d) maintenance fee; or (e) advance fee; or (f) or any other charges of similar nature, which are incidental to transfer of the immovable property;

(10) “contract” shall include sub-contract;

(11) “designated person”, for the purposes of section 393(1) [Table: Sl. No. 6 (i)], means— (a) the Central Government or any State Government; or (b) any local authority; or (c) any corporation established by or under a Central Act or State Act or Provincial Act; or (d) any company; or(e) any co-operative society; or (f) any authority, constituted in India by or under any law, engaged either for the purpose of dealing with and satisfying the need for housing accommodation or for the purpose of planning, development or improvement of cities, towns and villages, or for both; or (g) any society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860) or under any law corresponding to that Act in force in any part of India; or (h) any trust; or (i) any University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act or State Act or Provincial Act and an institution declared to be a university under section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956); or (j) any Government of a foreign State or a foreign enterprise or any association or body established outside India; or (k) any firm; or (l) any person, being an individual or a Hindu undivided family or an association of persons or a body of individuals, if such person,— (i) does not fall under any of the preceding sub-clauses; and (ii) has total sales, gross receipts or turnover from business or profession carried on by him exceeding one crore rupees in case of business or fifty lakh rupees in case of profession during the tax year immediately preceding the tax year in which such sum is credited or paid to the account of the contractor;

(12) “electronic commerce” means the supply of goods or services, or both, including digital products, over digital or electronic network;

(13) “e-commerce operator” means a person who owns, operates or manages digital or electronic facility or platform for electronic commerce;

(14) “e-commerce participant” means a person resident in India selling goods or providing services, or both, including digital products, through digital or electronic facility or platform for electronic commerce;

(15) “fees for technical services” shall have the meaning as assigned to it in section 9(7)(b);

(16) “foreign exchange asset” means any specified asset which the assessee has acquired or purchased with, or subscribed to in, convertible foreign exchange;

(17) “Foreign Institutional Investor” shall have the meaning as assigned to it in section 210(6)(a);

(18) “goods carriage” shall have the meaning as assigned to it in section 58(11)(d);

(19) “immovable property” means any land (other than agricultural land) or any building or part of a building;

(20) “investor” shall have the meaning assigned to it in section 221(6)(a), for the purposes of section 393(1) [Table: Sl. No. 4(iv)] and section 393(2) (Table: Sl. No. 9);

(21) “licensee or lessee” means any person, other than a public sector company, who has been granted a lease or a licence or entered into a contract or otherwise received any right or interest either in whole or in part in any parking lot or toll plaza or mine or quarry, from the licensor or lessor for the use of parking lot or toll plaza or mine or quarry for the purposes of business;

(22) “licensor or lessor” means any person who grants a lease or a licence or enters into a contract or otherwise transfers any right or interest either in whole or in part in any parking lot or toll plaza or mine or quarry, to another person, other than a public sector company for the use of such parking lot or toll plaza or mine or quarry for the purposes of business;

(23) “non-resident Indian” shall have the meaning assigned to it in section 212(d);

(24) “Offshore Banking Unit” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in section 2(u) of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 (28 of 2005);

(25) “online gaming intermediary” means an intermediary who offers one or more online games;

(26) “overseas tour programme package” means any tour package which offers visit to any country or territory outside India and includes expenses for travel or hotel stay or boarding or lodging or any other expenditure of similar nature or in relation thereto;

(27) “person responsible for paying” means— (a) in the case of payments of income chargeable under the head “Salaries”, other than payments by the Central Government or the State Government— (i) the employer himself; or (ii) if the employer is a company, the company itself, including the principal officer thereof; (b) in the case of payments of income chargeable under the head “Interest on securities”, other than payments made by or on behalf of the Central Government or State Government, local authority, corporation or company, including the principal officer thereof; (c) in the case of any sum payable to a non-resident Indian, being any sum representing consideration for the transfer by him of any foreign exchange asset, which is not a short-term capital asset, the authorised person, referred in clause (c) of section 2 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999), responsible— (i) for remitting such sum to the non-resident Indian; or (ii) for crediting such sum to his Non-resident (External) Account maintained as per the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999), and any rules made thereunder; (d) in the case of furnishing of information relating to payment to a non-resident, not being a company, or to a foreign company, of any sum, whether or not chargeable under the provisions of this Act— (i) the payer himself; or (ii) if the payer is a company, the company itself including the principal officer thereof; (e) in the case of credit, or, as the case may be, payment of any other sum chargeable under the provisions of this Act— (i) the payer himself; or (ii) if the payer is a company, the company itself including the principal officer thereof; (f) in the case of credit, or as the case may be, payment of any sum chargeable under the provisions of this Act made by or on behalf of the Central Government or the State Government— (i) the drawing and disbursing officer; or (ii) any other person, by whatever name called, responsible for crediting, or paying such sum; (g) in the case of a person not resident in India— (i) the person himself; or (ii) any person authorised by such person; or (iii) the agent of such person in India including any person treated as an agent under section 306;

(28) “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 may be notified by the Board for the purposes of this section, or of section 62;

(29) “rent” means any payment, by whatever name called, under any lease, sub-lease, tenancy or any other agreement or arrangement for the use of (either separately or together) any— (a) land; or (b) building (including factory building); or (c) land appurtenant to a building (including factory building); or (d) machinery; or (e) plant; or (f) equipment; or (g) furniture; or (h) fittings,whether or not any or all of the above are owned by the payee, and for the purposes of section 393(1) [Table: Sl. No. 2(i)], only the payment with reference to assets mentioned in sub-clauses (a), (b) and (c) shall be treated as rent;

(30) “royalty” shall have the meaning assigned to it in section 9(6)(b);

(31) “scrap” means waste and scrap from the manufacture or mechanical working of materials which is definitely not usable as such because of breakage, cutting up, wear and other reasons;

(32) “securities” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in section 2(h) of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 (42 of 1956);

(33) “seller” means— (a) for the purposes of section 394(1) (Table: Sl. Nos. 1 to 6),— (i) the Central Government; or (ii) a State Government; or (iii) any local authority or corporation or authority established by or under a Central Act or State Act or Provincial Act; or (iv) any company or firm or co-operative society; or (v) an individual or a Hindu undivided family, whose total sales, gross receipts or turnover from the business or profession carried on by him exceed one crore rupees in case of business or fifty lakh rupees in case of profession during the tax year immediately preceding the tax year in which the goods of the nature specified in such serial numbers are sold; (b) for the purposes of section 394(1) (Table: Sl. No. 8), a person who sells overseas tour program package;

(34) “services” for the purposes of section 393(1) [Table: Sl. No. 8(v)], includes “fees for technical services” and fees for “professional services”, as defined in this section;

(35) “specified bank” means a banking company as the Central Government may, by notification, specify;

(36) “specified company” means for the purposes of section 393(1) [Table: Sl. No. 4(i)] and 393(2) (Table: Sl. No. 10), a company as referred to in section 2(h) of the Unit Trust of India (Transfer of Undertaking and Repeal) Act, 2002 (58 of 2002);

(37) “specified person” means— (a) any person, not being an individual or Hindu undivided family; or (b) an individual or a Hindu undivided family, whose total sales, gross receipts or turnover from the business or profession carried on by him exceed one crore rupees in case of business or fifty lakh rupees in case of profession during the tax year immediately preceding the tax year in which such income or sum is credited or paid;

(38) “special purpose vehicle” shall have the meaning in Schedule V (Note 2);

(39) “specified senior citizen” means an individual, being a resident in India— (a) who is of the age of seventy-five years or more at any time during the tax year; (b) who is having pension income and no other income except the interest received or receivable from any account maintained by such individual in the same specified bank in which he is receiving his pension income; and (c) has furnished a declaration to the specified bank containing particulars, in such form and verified in such manner as may be prescribed;

(40) “specified undertaking” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in section 2(i) of the Unit Trust of India (Transfer of Undertaking and Repeal) Act, 2002 (58 of 2022);

(41) “time deposits” means deposits (including recurring deposits) repayable on the expiry of fixed periods;

(42) “unit” for the purposes of section 393(1) [Table: Sl. No. 4(iii)] and section 393(2) (Table: Sl. No. 8) shall have the meaning assigned to it in section 224(10)(c);

(43) “Unit Trust of India” means the Unit Trust of India as referred to in the Unit Trust of India (Transfer of Undertaking and Repeal) Act, 2002 (58 of 2002);

(44) “University”, referred in section 392(4), means a University established or incorporated by or under a Central, State or Provincial Act, and includes an institution declared under section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956), to be a University for the purposes of that Act;

(45) “user” means any person who accesses or avails any computer resource of an online gaming intermediary;

(46) “user account” means account of a user registered with an online gaming intermediary;

(47) “work” shall include— (a) advertising; (b) broadcasting and telecasting including production of programmes for such broadcasting or telecasting; (c) carriage of goods or passengers by any mode of transport other than by railways; (d) catering; (e) manufacturing or supplying a product according to the requirement or specification of a customer by using material purchased from— (i) such customer; or (ii) its associate, being a person placed similarly in relation to such customer as is the person placed in relation to the assessee under the provisions contained in section 36(3),but does not include— (A) manufacturing or supplying a product according to the requirement or specification of a customer by using material purchased from a person, other than such customer or associate of such customer; or (B) any sum referred to in section 393(1) [Table: Sl. No. 6(iii)]. (f) supply of manpower to a person to work under his supervision, control or direction.

Introduction

Section 402 is a definitions section for Chapter XIX. It must be read with the particular deduction or collection provision because several defined persons and payments differ by table row.

The amended Act contains dozens of defined terms. This guide highlights common classification traps but is not a substitute for the full section when a payment, buyer, seller or collector category is uncertain.

Key takeaways

1

Chapter definitions

Section 402 defines terms for Chapter XIX, so its meanings control the source-tax rules in that Chapter.

2

Agricultural land differs by row

The definition of agricultural land changes for the two expressly named section 393 table rows.

3

Apparent incorrect claim

The definition includes a claim inconsistent with another statement entry or a deduction or collection rate contrary to the Act.

Definitions depend on the cited table row

The buyer definition has a table that distinguishes goods-purchase deduction, specified-goods collection, motor vehicles, Liberalised Remittance Scheme remittances and overseas tour packages. The relevant row determines who is included and who is excluded.

The seller definition likewise separates specified goods and motor vehicles from overseas tour packages. A threshold or exclusion used for one transaction should not be imported into another row.

Agricultural land has two meanings here

For section 393(1), Table serial number 3(i), the agricultural-land definition excludes land in an area referred to in section 2(22)(iii). For serial number 3(iii) of the same table, it includes land in such an area. The exact serial number therefore changes the answer.

Contract work and the 2026 amendment

The definition of “work” includes listed activities such as advertising, catering and certain customer-material manufacturing. Finance Act, 2026 added supply of manpower to work under another person’s supervision, control or direction.

The manufacturing limb has an express exclusion where the material is bought from a person other than the customer or its associate. Classification should follow the actual material source and contractual arrangement.

The work definition also expressly excludes any sum referred to in section 393(1) Table row 6(iii). Read this exclusion alongside the customer-material manufacturing distinction.

Selected key definitions

  • "Specified person" generally means any person other than an individual or HUF, or an individual/HUF whose total sales, gross receipts or turnover from business exceeds ₹1 crore (or from profession exceeds ₹50 lakh) in the immediately preceding tax year.
  • “Designated person”, for section 393(1) Table row 6(i), includes the bodies listed in clauses (a)–(k). Clause (l) additionally covers an individual, HUF, association of persons or body of individuals not already covered, whose preceding-year business turnover exceeds ₹1 crore or professional turnover exceeds ₹50 lakh. The residual limb should not be limited to individuals and HUFs.
  • "Rent" means any payment under a lease, sub-lease, tenancy or similar arrangement for the use of land, building (including factory building), land appurtenant to a building, machinery, plant, equipment, furniture or fittings - though for the Section 393(1) [Table Sl. No. 2(i)] rate, only payments for land, building and land appurtenant to a building count as "rent".
  • "Work" (for contractor TDS) includes advertising; broadcasting and telecasting (including production for it); carriage of goods or passengers other than by railways; catering; and manufacturing/supplying a product to a customer's specification using material purchased from that customer or its associate - but excludes manufacturing/supplying using material bought from someone else, and (from the Finance Act, 2026) includes supply of manpower to work under another person's supervision, control or direction.
  • "Professional services" means services rendered in the course of the legal, medical, engineering, architectural, accountancy, technical consultancy, interior decoration or advertising professions, or any other profession notified by the Board.
  • "Seller" (for TCS on liquor, tendu leaves, timber, forest produce, scrap, minerals or motor vehicles) generally means the Government, local authorities/statutory corporations, companies/firms/co-operative societies, or an individual/HUF whose turnover exceeds ₹1 crore (business) or ₹50 lakh (profession) in the preceding tax year.
  • "Buyer" is separately defined, table-wise, for goods purchase TDS (Section 393(1) [Table Sl. No. 8(ii)]), TCS on specified goods, motor vehicles, LRS remittances and overseas tour packages - each with its own exclusions (e.g. public sector companies, Government/embassies, retail buyers for personal consumption).
  • "Fees for technical services" and "royalty" carry the meanings assigned in Section 9(7)(b) and Section 9(6)(b) respectively.
  • "Specified senior citizen" means a resident individual aged 75 or more, with only pension income and interest from an account with the same specified bank, who has furnished the prescribed declaration to that bank.
  • "E-commerce operator" means a person who owns, operates or manages a digital or electronic facility or platform for electronic commerce; an "e-commerce participant" is a person resident in India selling goods or providing services (including digital products) through such a facility or platform.
  • "Immovable property" (for TDS on property transfer) means any land other than agricultural land, or any building or part of a building.
  • "Person responsible for paying" is defined separately for salary payments, interest on securities, non-resident Indian foreign-exchange asset transfers, non-resident payment information reporting, and Government payments - generally the employer/payer or, for a company, the company itself including its principal officer.

Step-by-step flow for using a Section 402 definition

  1. 1

    Which provision and table row of Chapter XIX are you applying?

    Several Section 402 definitions change with the row, for example "agricultural land" in Section 402(2), which excludes certain land for Section 393(1) (Table: Sl. No. 3(i)) and includes it for Sl. No. 3(iii).

  2. 2

    Find the defined term and its scope

    Section 402 applies "for the purposes of this Chapter". Check whether the definition is limited to particular sections or table rows.

  3. 3

    Apply each inclusion and exclusion

    For example, "work" in Section 402(47) includes advertising, broadcasting, carriage other than by railways, catering, manufacturing with customer-supplied material and supply of manpower, but excludes manufacturing with material bought from someone other than the customer or its associate, and any sum in Section 393(1) (Table: Sl. No. 6(iii)).

  4. 4

    Does the definition depend on a turnover test?

    For example, an individual or Hindu undivided family is a "specified person" under Section 402(37)(b) only if business turnover exceeded one crore rupees, or professional receipts exceeded fifty lakh rupees, in the tax year immediately preceding the year of credit or payment.

  5. 5

    Record the classification

    Note the definition clause relied on and the facts that support it, such as who supplied the material or who supervises the workers.

Practical checklist

Do

  • Start with the exact section 393 or 394 table row; then read the matching section 402 definition and any row-specific inclusion or exclusion.
  • For an individual or HUF whose status turns on turnover, verify the immediately preceding tax year and whether the business or profession threshold applies.
  • For manpower or manufacturing contracts, record who supervises the workers and who supplied the materials before classifying “work”.
  • For land, check which of the two section 393 property rows is involved before applying the agricultural-land definition.

Avoid

  • Do not apply the same “buyer”, “seller” or “agricultural land” meaning across all table rows.
  • Do not rely on this selected glossary as a complete substitute for the full statutory definitions in section 402.

Illustrative example

Worked example: is a contract "work"?

Hypothetical facts (illustration only, not a real taxpayer): Kiran, an individual running a garment business, places three orders: (1) printed labels made to her specification from fabric that the printer buys from her; (2) packaging made to her design from board the supplier buys from an unrelated mill; (3) a labour agency's staff who work in her unit under her supervision. Her business turnover in the preceding tax year was ₹1.4 crore (assumed).

  1. Order 1

    Manufacturing to the customer's specification using material bought from the customer falls in Section 402(47)(e)(i), so it is "work".

  2. Order 2

    The material is bought from a person other than the customer or its associate, so exclusion (A) in Section 402(47) applies and it is not "work" under that definition.

  3. Order 3

    Supply of manpower to work under the customer's supervision, control or direction falls in Section 402(47)(f), so it is "work".

  4. Kiran's status

    Her preceding-year business turnover of ₹1.4 crore exceeds one crore rupees, so she is a "specified person" under Section 402(37)(b) where that term is used.

Outcome

  • Orders 1 and 3 are "work" under Section 402(47); order 2 is not.
  • Whether and at what rate tax is deducted depends on the operative provision in Section 393, not on Section 402.

Glossary

Specified person
A section 402 category used for designated deduction provisions; for an individual or HUF it includes a preceding-year turnover test.
Work
An inclusive definition for the cited contract-payment provision, with listed activities, an express manufacturing exclusion and a 2026 manpower inclusion.
Incorrect claim apparent from statement information
A claim inconsistent with another statement entry or applying a deduction or collection rate contrary to the Act.

Frequently asked questions

What turnover threshold makes an individual/HUF a "specified person" for TDS purposes?

Total sales, gross receipts or turnover exceeding ₹1 crore from business, or ₹50 lakh from profession, in the tax year immediately preceding the tax year in which the income or sum is credited or paid.

Does "work" for contractor TDS include supply of manpower?

Yes, following the Finance Act, 2026 amendment, which inserted "supply of manpower to a person to work under his supervision, control or direction" into the definition of "work" in Section 402(47).

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Last updated 10 October 2026