Nearly 70% of Valmo Delivery Partners Filing ITRs Are First-Time Tax Filers, ₹2 Crore in Refunds Claimed

Nearly seven in ten Valmo delivery partners who have begun filing Income Tax Returns under a new assistance programme are entering the tax-filing system for the first time. Meesho’s logistics arm said around 10,000 delivery partners have initiated ITR filing since the programme was introduced in July, with approximately ₹2 crore in tax refunds claimed so far.

Valmo launched the initiative to make tax filing easier for people working across its delivery network. Along with helping partners understand their applicable tax obligations, the programme provides a route for eligible workers to recover excess Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) and establish a formal record of their income.

Recovering Tax Deducted From Delivery Payouts

Delivery partners, including bike riders, can have tax deducted from their payouts during the year. The amount deducted, however, may not necessarily correspond to their eventual income-tax liability. When the TDS collected exceeds the final amount payable, an eligible taxpayer can seek a refund by filing an income-tax return.

This can present a practical difficulty for workers who have never previously interacted with the ITR system. Valmo’s initiative is intended to make that process more accessible by helping delivery partners begin their returns and providing assistance as they move through the filing procedure.

The participation figures released by Meesho indicate that the programme is reaching a considerable number of new taxpayers. Of approximately 10,000 partners who have initiated returns since July, nearly 70% are first-time tax filers. Collectively, participants have so far claimed refunds of approximately ₹2 crore.

ITR Filing Also Builds an Income History

The programme has another objective beyond recovering excess tax. Filing an income-tax return creates a documented record of declared income, giving workers a formal financial history that may be useful when accessing financial services.

This can be particularly relevant to people earning through gig and platform-based work rather than conventional salaried employment. Although such workers participate in an increasingly digital economy, they may not always have the same familiarity with tax procedures and income documentation.

Meesho Chief Financial Officer Dhiresh Bansal said the initiative is intended to make ITR filing simpler for Valmo partners, allowing eligible workers to claim tax refunds while developing a formal financial record that can support their longer-term requirements. He also pointed to the large proportion of first-time filers as evidence of the potential for programmes of this kind to expand financial inclusion.

Valmo Uses WhatsApp and Seven Languages to Reach Partners

To make the service accessible across its delivery network, Valmo has communicated with partners through WhatsApp and its internal Training Management System. Information about the filing programme has been provided in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi and Bengali.

Delivery partners can use these communications to access the ClearTax platform and initiate their returns, while support is available during the filing process. Providing the information in seven languages is intended to make the system easier to navigate for partners working across different parts of the country.

Connecting Gig Workers With the Formal Financial System

The growth of e-commerce and platform-based services in India has expanded earning opportunities for delivery workers and other participants in the gig economy. Yet earning through a digital platform does not automatically give workers familiarity with taxation or other formal financial procedures.

Programmes that make ITR filing easier can help narrow that gap. Workers can determine whether they are entitled to recover excess TDS while simultaneously creating a documented income history that can assist them when dealing with the wider financial system.

Valmo describes the tax-filing programme as part of its broader effort to support individuals and small businesses participating in its logistics network. As the network expands, the company says it will continue exploring measures intended to support the financial wellbeing and longer-term economic participation of its partners.

The first set of figures offers an indication of the programme’s reach: around 10,000 Valmo delivery partners have initiated ITR filing since July, nearly 70% are filing for the first time, and approximately ₹2 crore in refunds have already been claimed. The initiative consequently provides an example of how participation in India’s expanding logistics and digital-commerce economy can also provide gig workers with a pathway into the country’s formal tax and financial ecosystem.