The problem it solves: Every year, India payroll teams run the same exhausting cycle. Employees declare investments through emails, spreadsheets, or offline forms. Proofs arrive as scanned attachments or physical documents. Payroll admins reconcile the two manually before TDS finalisation – chasing missing data, decoding inconsistent formats, and answering the same employee queries again and again.
The result is predictable: errors in TDS calculation, audit trails that are hard to defend, and avoidable workload across HR, payroll, and finance.
What we built: A complete, end-to-end India Tax Declaration and Proof Submission Module – built directly into HR Blizz Employee Self-Service and the Payroll Admin Console. Employees declare, upload, and track their tax submissions in one place. Admins configure, audit, and approve from a single dashboard. Every action is logged, transparent, and tied to TDS calculations automatically.
What this means for your team
Tax declarations and proof submissions are
no longer collected over email, spreadsheets, or paper
TDS calculations are based on admin-approved amounts
not unverified declarations
Employees self-serve from declaration through to
status tracking, removing repeat queries to HR and payroll
The entire process leaves a clean, auditable trail
useful at year-end, during audits, and for compliance reviews
How it works – a clear two-phase process
The module replaces the legacy declaration-and-collection cycle with a structured, time-bound workflow that admins control.
Phase 1 – Declaration (typically April): At the start of the financial year, employees declare their planned investments through the ESS portal. No documents are required at this stage – this phase is for planning. Submissions are auto-approved and feed directly into monthly TDS calculations.
Phase 2 – Proof Submission (typically Q4): Later in the year, employees upload supporting documents against each declared investment. Admins review every proof, validate amounts, and approve, reject, or partially approve. The approved figures replace the planned figures and become the basis for final TDS adjustment.
What employees can do
| Capability | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tax Regime Selection | Choose Old or New Regime once per financial year. The system displays a confirmation warning before locking the choice. |
| Structured Declaration Form | Tab-organised form covering HRA, 80C/80CCC/80CCD, 80D, Chapter VI-A, House Property, and Other Income & TDS |
| HRA Copy Data | Enter rent and landlord details for April and auto-populate all 12 months in one click – no repetitive entry. |
| Document Upload | Upload proofs (PDF, JPG, PNG, up to 50 MB) against individual line items during the proof submission phase. |
| Real-Time Status Tracking | Track every submitted item live – Under Review, Approved, Rejected – with admin remarks visible inside the portal. |
| Save as Draft | Save progress at any point and resume later before final submission |
| Resubmit on Rejection | View the admin’s reason for rejection, correct the document or amount, and resubmit – all without leaving the portal. |
What payroll admins can do
| Capability | Detail |
|---|---|
| Centralised Dashboard | View every employee’s tax regime, declared amount, and submission status in a single screen. |
| Configurable Submission Windows | Set start and end dates for the Declaration Phase and Proof Submission Phase via Settings → Entity Fields. |
| Proof Audit Workflow | Open submissions in Review Mode. Navigate section by section. View uploaded proofs in a side panel and adjust approved amounts where needed. |
| Approve, Reject, or Partially Approve | Each proof has three possible outcomes. Partial approvals require a written reason – visible to the employee. |
| Mandatory Comments on Decisions | Comments accompany every approval and rejection – employees see them instantly inside ESS, reducing back-and-forth. |
| Final Audit Summary | The Final Audit tab consolidates declared vs. approved amounts across all sections – a one-click final approval or rejection. |
| Tax Regime Monitoring | See Old vs. New regime distribution across the workforce. Mid-year regime changes are system-restricted to protect TDS accuracy. |
Tax sections covered
The module supports all major investment and income categories under the Indian Income Tax Act:
House Rent Allowance
Month-wise rent, landlord PAN, city type.
80C, 80CCC, 80CCD
Life Insurance, PF, ELSS, NPS, LIC Annuity (combined limit ₹1,50,000; additional ₹50,000 via 80CCD(1B) for NPS).
Section 80D
Health insurance premiums for self, family and parents (including preventive health check-up).
Chapter VI-A (Others)
Education loan interest (80E), donations, disability deductions (80DD/80U), EV loan interest (80EEB), first-home buyer interest (80EEA).
House Property
Home loan interest and rental income (self-occupied and let-out).
Other Income & TDS
Interest income, TCS paid, and previous employment income (Form 12B).
Important to know before activation
Tax regime is locked once selected: Each employee selects Old or New Regime once per financial year. Once confirmed, it cannot be changed through ESS. Mid-year backend changes are strongly discouraged and should only be considered with your Account Director.
Storage prerequisite (commercial consideration): Document storage requires an S3 bucket. Two options are available – Mercans-managed storage (billed via Mercans) or customer-purchased storage (configured in the system). Discuss the right option with your Account Director before activation.
Works well with: Embedded Employee Change History – every tax declaration action is captured in the employee record alongside other payroll changes.
Audience at a glance
| Role | Primary action |
|---|---|
| Employee | Declare investments, upload proofs, track status, resubmit on rejection |
| Payroll Admin | Configure windows, audit submissions, approve/reject proofs, finalise audit |
| HR Manager | Monitor regime distribution and submission progress across the workforce |
| Finance / Compliance | Review final approved amounts before TDS finalisation; verify audit trail |