Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or registering on TaxSocial ("the Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform. These Terms apply to all users, including registered members, visitors, and contributors. Your continued use of the Platform constitutes your acceptance of these Terms and any future amendments.

2. What TaxSocial Is

TaxSocial is a user-generated content platform for tax and finance professionals and enthusiasts in India. It is a social community — like Twitter or LinkedIn — where individuals share knowledge, analysis, and opinions. It is not a tax advisory firm, legal service, or financial planning service.

The Platform functions as an intermediary as defined under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. We provide the technology infrastructure; users provide the content.

3. User Accounts

• You must provide accurate information during registration.
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and password.
• You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account, including any unauthorized use.
• One person, one account. Creating multiple accounts to evade bans is prohibited.
• You must be at least 18 years old to register.
• We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

4. User Content & Responsibility

You remain solely responsible for the content you post on the Platform. This includes articles, comments, replies, profile information, and any other material you submit. Comments and replies are screened automatically for external links, promotional phone numbers, messaging links and affiliate links before they are posted, may be reported by any member, and may be hidden by an admin when a report is upheld.

TaxSocial applies automated machine checks to every submission before publication, screening for spam, off-topic content, marketing/solicitation, plagiarism, and obvious policy violations. These are algorithmic filters that protect platform safety; they are not an editorial review or accuracy certification. We do not fact-check, verify the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or legal compliance of any content posted by users. We do not vouch for any author's professional credentials. Users with varying levels of knowledge contribute to this Platform, and TaxSocial does not certify the accuracy of any information or the expertise of any contributor.

Search engine indexing of user-generated articles is a platform decision made by automated checks of content quality, originality (including comparison against other articles on the Platform) and compliance with these Terms. Reader engagement is not required for an article to be indexed. Articles published by the TaxSocial editorial desk are verified against primary sources and independently fact-checked before publication, and that verification stands in place of the automated pre-indexing check for those articles only. Engagement and search-performance data may subsequently be used to review whether low-value pages should remain indexed. Third-party advertising on articles is decided separately on automated trust signals (engagement, author standing, moderation history); where engagement is counted, only comments by other members that meet a minimum length count, and likes on Highlights never count. Neither indexing nor ad rendering is an author right, and we may withhold or remove either from any post at any time without notice.

To limit bulk posting, accounts that have not yet reached the trusted tier may publish up to five articles a day; further articles are saved as drafts. Trusted, verified and editorial accounts are exempt.

You represent and warrant that:

• You have the right to post the content.
• It does not infringe any third-party intellectual property, privacy, or other rights.
• It complies with all applicable Indian laws.
• It does not contain deliberately misleading or fabricated information.

4A. Questions & Answers

Any member may post a question, and any member may answer. Answers are the personal views of the members who write them. They are not professional advice, TaxSocial does not verify them, and no answer creates a professional relationship between you and its author. A label such as "Trusted member", "Endorsed by a trusted member", "Expert" or a credential badge describes the author's standing on this Platform; it is not a certification that the answer is correct for your facts. The "Helpful to asker" mark is the asker's own opinion and is never a correctness signal.

Questions are anonymous by default. An anonymous question shows no name or profile to any reader, including members who answer it. The question remains linked to your account, which is visible to Platform administrators, is used for notifications and moderation, and may be disclosed where the law requires. You may choose to ask under your name instead.

Questions and answers pass the same automated checks as articles for external links, promotional phone numbers, messaging links and affiliate or tracking links, and are refused if those rules are not met. There is no other pre-publication check on questions or answers; they are visible on the Platform as soon as they are posted. Posting volume is limited per account.

Question pages are withheld from search engines by default. A question page is made available to search engines only when it carries at least one answer that meets a minimum length and is either written by, or marked helpful by, a member of the editorial team, an institute-verified member or a member in the trusted tier. This is an automated visibility decision, not a check of accuracy, and we may withhold or remove search visibility from any question at any time. Question pages do not carry third-party advertising.

You may withdraw your own question only while it has no answers, and delete your own answers at any time. Questions, answers and votes may be removed under Section 8.

5. User Content; Ownership; License; Attribution

5.1 Ownership of User Content

As between you and TaxSocial, you retain all right, title, and interest in and to any content that you submit, upload, post, publish, transmit, or otherwise make available through the Platform, including articles, comments, profile information, images, documents, audio, video, and other materials ("User Content").

5.2 License Granted to TaxSocial

By submitting or publishing User Content on or through the Platform, you grant TaxSocial, its affiliates, successors, assigns, service providers, sublicensees, and distribution partners a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, and sublicensable license to host, store, cache, reproduce, copy, publish, display, perform, distribute, transmit, communicate to the public, make available, index, promote, market, advertise, monetize, syndicate, adapt, translate, reformat, excerpt, and otherwise use such User Content, in whole or in part, in any media, format, channel, or technology now known or later developed, for the operation, administration, improvement, promotion, distribution, monetization, and expansion of TaxSocial and related products and services.

5.3 Scope of License

The license granted above includes the right to:

• display User Content on the Platform, including feeds, profiles, article pages, search results, topic pages, archives, newsletters, emails, push notifications, and mobile or web experiences;
• create and display excerpts, summaries, previews, thumbnails, snippets, translations, and format-adapted versions of User Content;
• make technical, editorial, stylistic, metadata, categorization, SEO, accessibility, compliance, moderation, safety, and formatting changes to User Content, provided that TaxSocial will not knowingly make material substantive changes that alter the intended meaning of a long-form article without the author's permission, except where required for legal, regulatory, moderation, enforcement, or technical reasons;
• include User Content in compilations, featured collections, rankings, digests, educational materials, promotional campaigns, and TaxSocial-owned or TaxSocial-distributed channels;
• place branding, advertisements, sponsorship disclosures, recommendations, analytics, internal links, and calls to action on or around pages where User Content appears; and
• continue using previously created promotional, archived, cached, backed-up, syndicated, or distributed copies of User Content.

5.4 Name, Profile, and Professional Identity

You also grant TaxSocial the right to use your name, display name, username, profile photo, likeness, credentials, biography, firm or organization name, city, and other public profile information in connection with your User Content and in connection with the promotion of such User Content, your author profile, and the Platform.

5.5 Attribution and Author Credit

TaxSocial's standard practice for long-form articles published under an identified author account will ordinarily be to display visible author attribution, including the author byline and a link to the author's public TaxSocial profile, subject to moderation, legal requirements, user settings, technical limitations, and product design changes. TaxSocial may also display the author's public biography, credentials, profile photo, firm name, and approved professional links in author boxes, contributor pages, search surfaces, topic pages, newsletters, and promotional placements.

5.6 Author Links and Backlinks

Subject to TaxSocial's quality standards, anti-spam rules, and editorial policies, authors may maintain public professional links, including links to a personal website, firm website, LinkedIn profile, X profile, YouTube channel, or similar professional pages. TaxSocial may display such links as clickable public links and may determine their placement, formatting, labels, redirects, tracking parameters, and technical attributes, including the use of rel="ugc", rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or similar attributes, in its discretion. TaxSocial may remove, limit, or decline links or profile elements that are excessive, misleading, deceptive, irrelevant, unsafe, unlawful, affiliate-driven, or primarily intended to manipulate search rankings.

5.7 Deletion and Survival

You may edit or delete your User Content in accordance with Platform functionality and policies. However, the license granted under this Section will survive with respect to any User Content already published, cached, archived, backed up, shared, promoted, distributed, syndicated, or otherwise used by TaxSocial or its partners before deletion, and to the extent reasonably necessary for recordkeeping, legal compliance, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, enforcement, security, and operational continuity.

5.8 No Transfer of Ownership

Except for the license expressly granted in these Terms, nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of User Content from you to TaxSocial.

6. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to post or engage in:

• Spam, bulk solicitation, or unsolicited promotional content
• Impersonation of any person, firm, or regulatory body (ICAI, CBDT, MCA, etc.)
• Content that is defamatory, obscene, or harassing
• Content that violates the IT Act 2000, Indian Penal Code, or any other Indian law
• Providing fabricated legal citations, fake case laws, or deliberately misleading tax information
• Scraping, crawling, or automated data extraction without written permission
• Manufacturing likes, bookmarks, follows or reports through multiple, automated or borrowed accounts, or filing reports you know to be false
• Placing links to sites other than government and statutory-body websites or other pages on TaxSocial, or phone numbers and messaging links used to solicit clients, anywhere in an article, including its summary, tags and search-engine title and description
• Attempting to circumvent any security features or access restrictions
• Using the Platform to distribute malware, viruses, or harmful code

7. Professional Credentials & Verification Marks

Users may self-declare credentials (CA, CS, CMA, Advocate, etc.) on their profile. A self-declared credential carries no mark. Falsely claiming credentials you do not hold is a violation of these Terms.

Verification marks appear only against profile items that were actually checked, and each mark states how and when the check was made: email (confirmed by one-time code or Google sign-in), website (a link to the user's TaxSocial profile found on the site, re-checked periodically), institute number (an administrator looked the number up on the ICAI, ICSI or ICMAI member register and confirmed the name matches), and LinkedIn or X (an administrator confirmed the user's TaxSocial profile link appears in that bio). The institute, LinkedIn and X checks are performed for TaxSocial Pro members and their marks are displayed only while a Pro subscription is active. A mark records a check made on a date; it is not an endorsement of expertise, and TaxSocial does not guarantee that a credential remains valid after the date of the check.

Expert mark. The "Expert" label shown against some members in a tax field is computed automatically from articles published on the Platform that passed its automated quality checks, a clean moderation record, at least one verified profile item and reader activity. It cannot be purchased, is not affected by any subscription, lapses without continued publishing, and is a statement about activity on this Platform only, not a professional qualification or a recommendation.

TaxSocial does not verify credentials in any other way and is not a regulatory body. Users are responsible for confirming credentials independently before relying on them.

7A. Professional Directory & User Interactions

TaxSocial provides a Professional Directory that lists every professional account that has completed registration (except accounts that have asked to be left out of the listing) and allows users to search by city, tax field and credentials. The order of results is determined automatically by the Expert mark, an administrator-verified institute number displayed under an active Pro subscription, and articles that passed the Platform's quality checks; it cannot be purchased and is not affected by any subscription. The directory is provided solely as a convenience to help users discover professionals on the Platform.

TaxSocial does not recommend, endorse, vet, or guarantee any professional listed in the directory. Listing in the directory does not imply any form of approval, partnership, or quality assurance by TaxSocial.

Any engagement, transaction, consultation, or dealing between you and any professional discovered through the Platform — whether via the directory, articles, direct messages, or any other feature — is entirely at your own risk and responsibility. TaxSocial is not a party to any such interaction and shall not be liable for:

• The quality, accuracy, or timeliness of any advice or service provided by a professional
• Any financial loss, legal dispute, or damage arising from your dealings with a professional
• Any misrepresentation of credentials, experience, or identity by any user
• Any fees, charges, or payments exchanged between you and a professional
• Any breach of confidentiality or misconduct by a professional you found through the Platform

You are solely responsible for conducting your own due diligence before engaging any professional for services. We strongly recommend verifying credentials independently with the relevant regulatory body (ICAI, ICSI, ICMAI, Bar Council, etc.) before entering into any professional engagement.

7B. Premium Features & Payments

TaxSocial offers one optional paid plan, TaxSocial Pro (enhanced analytics, blog ideas and AI writing help, removal of the daily direct-message quota (an anti-spam hourly limit applies to all accounts), and the administrator verification checks described in section 7). Pro is never displayed on a user's public byline and does not affect search indexing, the Expert mark or directory ranking. By purchasing Pro, you agree to the following:

• Payments are processed by Razorpay (a third-party payment gateway). TaxSocial does not store your card numbers, bank details, or UPI credentials. All payment data is handled by Razorpay in accordance with their privacy policy and PCI-DSS compliance.
• All payments are final. We do not offer refunds for partial subscription periods. If you cancel, your access continues until the end of the current billing cycle.
• Pricing may change. We reserve the right to modify the pricing of TaxSocial Pro at any time. Existing active subscriptions will not be affected until their renewal date.
• Free tiers may be modified or removed. Promotional offers such as free trial periods or article-count-based free access may be changed or discontinued at our discretion.
• AI-generated content is not professional advice. The Blog Ideas feature uses artificial intelligence to generate article topic suggestions and writing prompts. These suggestions are provided as-is and should be reviewed by the author before use. TaxSocial is not responsible for any errors or inaccuracies in AI-generated suggestions.
• Analytics data is approximate. Enhanced Analytics provides estimates based on Platform data. We do not guarantee the precision of view counts, follower growth charts, or engagement metrics.

By making a payment, you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to these terms and Razorpay's terms of service.

8. Content Moderation & Removal

TaxSocial may (but is not obligated to) review, monitor, or remove content for any reason, with or without notice, at its sole discretion. We may also disable accounts or restrict access if users violate these Terms.

Users are encouraged to report content that violates these Terms or applicable laws via the reporting mechanisms available on the Platform or by emailing [email protected] or WhatsApp at +91 99676 07577.

Each report is assessed automatically against the reported content. A report by itself does not remove an article from the Platform or from search results, and the number of reports alone never does. Where the automated assessment upholds a complaint, the article may be withheld from search engines and advertising pending review; the author is informed and may correct it. Uncertain cases are reviewed by an admin. Reports that are not upheld are closed without effect.

9. Copyright & Takedown

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe that content posted on TaxSocial infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to [email protected] (or WhatsApp +91 99676 07577) with the following:

• Identification of the copyrighted work you claim is infringed
• Identification of the infringing content and its location on the Platform (URL)
• Your contact information (name, email, phone)
• A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner
• A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf

We will process valid takedown requests in accordance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

10. Platform Liability & Intermediary Status

TaxSocial is an intermediary platform as defined under Section 2(1)(w) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and qualifies for the safe harbour protections under Section 79 of the IT Act.

We do not assume any responsibility or liability for any content posted or transmitted on the Platform by any user or third party. We do not verify the accuracy of any tax, legal, or financial information posted on the Platform.

TaxSocial, its owners, members, employees, agents, representatives, and the authors of content on this Platform expressly disclaim any and all liability to any person in respect of anything and the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done by any such person in reliance upon the contents of this Platform.

11. No Warranty

The Platform and all content are provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

TaxSocial makes no warranty that:

• The Platform will meet your requirements or expectations
• The Platform will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free
• The content will be accurate, reliable, or complete
• Any errors in the Platform will be corrected

Every effort has been made to avoid errors or omissions in Platform functionality. In spite of this, errors may occur. Any mistake, error, or discrepancy brought to our notice will be addressed on a best-effort basis.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, TaxSocial, its owners, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, arising from or related to your use of the Platform, whether based on warranty, contract, tort, or any other legal theory, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall our total liability exceed INR 1,000 (Indian Rupees One Thousand only).

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless TaxSocial, its owners, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from or related to: (a) your use of the Platform; (b) content you post or transmit on the Platform; (c) your violation of these Terms; or (d) your violation of any law or the rights of any third party.

14. Third-Party Links & Content

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, government circulars, court judgments, or external resources. TaxSocial does not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for the content, accuracy, or availability of any third-party website. Access to such websites is at your own risk.

TaxSocial is a content platform; it is not an Authorised Person (AP) or sub-broker registered with SEBI, nor is it a registered investment advisor, insurance agent, or distributor. Any decision to open an account, purchase a financial product, or follow a strategy discussed on TaxSocial is your independent choice and should be made with appropriate professional advice.

15. Intellectual Property

The TaxSocial brand, logo, platform design, and underlying software are proprietary. You may not use them without written permission. User-generated content remains the intellectual property of the respective authors, subject to the license granted in Section 5.

16. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or permanently terminate any account that violates these Terms, at our sole discretion, with or without notice. Upon termination, your right to access the Platform ceases immediately. Content you posted may remain visible unless you have deleted it prior to termination. Sections 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 18 survive termination.

17. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. We will attempt to notify registered users of material changes via email or platform notification. It is your responsibility to review these Terms periodically.

18. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India.

Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If unresolved within 30 days, the dispute shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in New Delhi, India.

19. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid under any applicable law, such unenforceability or invalidity shall not render these Terms unenforceable or invalid as a whole. Such provisions shall be deleted without affecting the remaining provisions herein.

20. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and Disclaimer, constitute the entire agreement between you and TaxSocial regarding your use of the Platform and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

21. Contact

For questions about these Terms, write to: [email protected] or WhatsApp +91 99676 07577.