TDS stands for Tax Deduction at Source. It is a mechanism for collecting income tax in India whereby the tax is deducted at source from payments like salary, interest, rent, etc. at the time of payment/credit. The payer has to deduct tax as per rates specified in the Income Tax Act 1961 from the payments made and deposit it with the government. The payer also has to obtain a Tax Deduction Account Number (TAN), file quarterly TDS returns, and issue TDS certificates to the payee. The payee can then claim credit for the TDS while filing their income tax return.