Article · 10 min read

Digital marketing agency in India 2026: registrations and tax

CalcGuru · calcguru.in Free Intermediate India

A July 2026 guide to the compliance side of an agency: no licence, GST at Rs 20 lakh, a TAN once you pay freelancers, an LUT for foreign clients, 18% GST on Google and Meta ads with the 6% equalisation levy abolished from 1 April 2025, and the choice between billing ad spend as principal or as pure agent.

  • There is no licence or council registration for a marketing agency.
  • Decide per client whether ad spend flows through your account; it changes your GST.
  • Commission income is excluded from the presumptive tax scheme; retainers are not.

The question it answers

  1. How do I start a digital marketing agency?

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