Gig workers tap refunds through app-based filing

BENGALURU: For many delivery partners, 1% of payouts is withheld as tax deducted at source (TDS). Over a year of trips, it can add up to money worth claiming back, particularly for workers whose earnings leave them below the taxable threshold. Tax filing is becoming part of gig work, increasingly built into the apps through which they work.ClearTax, one of the agencies roped in by platforms for filing returns, told TOI that gig-worker filings through its platform more than quadrupled in three years: from 2.5 lakh in assessment year 2023-24 (FY2022-23) to 5.5 lakh in 2025 (for FY2023-24) and approximately 11 lakh in AY2026-27 (FY2025-26)."Most of them are below taxable income," said Avinash Polepally, vice-president of product and business at ClearTax. Some work across platforms; others report gaming winnings or capital gains. In one exceptional case, he said, a worker with multiple sources received a Rs 5.4 lakh refund.Beyond refunds, filing creates a financial record that can support applications for credit. In several cases, workers also file returns before seeking jobs in West Asia as the paperwork may help with visa applications.Eternal told TOI that Zomato and Blinkit facilitated I-T return filing for 2.1 lakh delivery partners for FY2025-26. About 75% were first-time filers and they received Rs 33.6 crore in refunds, averaging roughly Rs 1,600 across all filers."For many delivery partners, this may be their first experience with formal financial services," Zomato CEO Aditya Mangla said. The subsidised service lets workers enter through the delivery-partner app, verify their details by OTP and file using a chatbot.Swiggy too said more than 50,000 food-delivery and Instamart partners filed through its app, generating Rs 6.5 crore in refund claims; over a third were first-time filers. It worked with ClearTax, TaxBuddy and Dvara Money. Zepto told TOI that 30,895 filings were registered in 2026, with claims exceeding Rs 4.9 crore. Meesho's Valmo said about 10,000 partners initiated filing after its programme began in July, claiming nearly Rs 2 crore; almost 70% were first-time filers. Delhivery offers riders a WhatsApp service, but did not disclose numbers.The figures are not directly comparable. Eternal reported completed filings and money refunded; Swiggy reported filings and claims; Zepto reported registered filings; and Valmo counted workers who initiated the process. "It's a very, very selective and convenient interpretation of financial inclusion," Balaji Parthasarathy, former Professor at IIIT-Bangalore, and Principal Investigator, Fairwork India, told TOI.Get the latest Business News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.