SpySeller

Can I sell digital downloads on Etsy from India without registering a company?

Anonymous • in 2 days • 1 answer

I’m based in India and I want to start an Etsy shop selling digital downloads.

I’m not registered as a business and I don’t have any formal company documents right now. Can I open an Etsy shop and sell digital products as an individual, and if so what basic verification or tax information does Etsy typically require during setup and payouts?

Answers

Hi! Yes—you can open an Etsy shop from India and sell digital downloads as an individual (you don’t need to register a company). During setup and for payouts, Etsy mainly cares that your identity and tax details match and that they can verify you for payments.

For India-based sellers, Etsy typically asks for:

  • Personal identity details: your legal name, date of birth, address, phone number (and you may be asked to upload a government ID like a passport/driver’s license).
  • Tax details for India: PAN is commonly required, and Etsy also checks for a valid/active GSTIN (in practice, Etsy expects you to have one on file and may pause deposits/suspend selling if you don’t have a valid GSTIN).
  • Payout setup: you’ll usually need to connect a payout method through Payoneer and provide bank details (account number, IFSC, and the bank account holder name matching your Etsy legal name).

A couple of “good to know” points for digital sellers in India:

  • New India shops are generally set up to sell internationally, and digital items can’t be purchased by buyers in India (so you’re selling to customers outside India).
  • Etsy may withhold/remit certain India taxes (like TDS/TCS) from your sales/fees, and having your PAN + GSTIN on file helps ensure it’s reported correctly and avoids higher withholding.

If you tell me whether you already have PAN and whether you can get a GSTIN (even as a sole proprietor/individual), I can suggest the smoothest setup path so you don’t get stuck at the payout/verification step.

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