Tax deduction at source under section 194H requires the assessee...

Tax deduction at source under section 194H requires the assessee to make a commission payment within a principal-agent relationship. Where a principal directly credits retailer incentives and deducts tax under the intermediary's PAN, the intermediary's recording of gross receipts and retailer shares for Form 26AS reconciliation does not establish receipt of that share as income or a separate payment from its own funds. Trade incentives or discounts in principal-to-principal transactions therefore do not attract the withholding obligation or consequential disallowance.