India's gig platforms are adding income tax filing services to help delivery partners claim TDS refunds. This move aims to simplify compliance for workers while strengthening their relationship with the platform. With millions of filings reported across apps like Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto, these financial tools may serve as a strategic effort to improve partner retention and formalize workforce documentation.
Gig economy companies are increasingly embedding income tax return filing services directly into their delivery apps to help partners recover taxes deducted at source. This integration allows delivery personnel to manage their tax compliance and claim refunds on the 1% tax deducted from their payouts. For many workers whose annual income remains below the taxable limit, these refunds represent a meaningful addition to their earnings, while the process itself helps them build a formal financial history.
Scaling Financial Services for Gig Workers
The scale of participation has grown rapidly, as evidenced by figures from major platforms and service providers. ClearTax, a tax filing platform, noted that filings from gig workers increased from 2.5 lakh in the 2023-24 assessment year to approximately 11 lakh in the 2026-27 assessment year. Among the companies facilitating these filings, Eternal, which operates Zomato and Blinkit, reported that its partners completed tax filings for 2.1 lakh workers in the 2025-26 fiscal year, resulting in refund claims totaling ₹33.6 crore. Swiggy also reported that over 50,000 of its delivery and Instamart partners used its app to file returns, generating refund claims worth ₹6.5 crore. Similarly, Zepto facilitated 30,895 tax filings in 2026 with claims exceeding ₹4.9 crore, while Meesho’s Valmo logistics network saw 10,000 partners initiate the process with claims approaching ₹2 crore.
Strategic Importance for Retention
For gig platforms, integrating these financial tools is more than a convenience feature. High turnover among delivery personnel is a persistent challenge in the gig economy, and providing value-added services can increase the switching costs for workers. By acting as a facilitator for tax refunds, platforms create a deeper engagement with their partners, moving beyond simple task management to offering services that assist with financial documentation. This formalization of income records is particularly valuable for gig workers, as it can improve their ability to access formal credit, loans, or even provide necessary documentation for overseas employment applications.
While the reporting methods—such as completed returns versus initiated filings—differ across platforms, the consistent trend indicates that companies are investing in digital infrastructure to reduce friction for their delivery workforce. This approach aligns with broader efforts to transition casual laborers into the formal financial system. Investors may monitor whether this initiative leads to the adoption of additional services, such as health insurance or micro-credit facilities, which would further integrate the delivery workforce into the platform’s ecosystem and potentially aid in long-term partner loyalty and service quality.