# Terms of Service
Effective from 9 May 2026. Version 1.1.0.
These Terms of Service form the contract between ElevateFinance Private Limited ("**ElevateFinance**", the "**Supplier**", "**we**", or "**us**") and any natural person or, in the case of an enterprise account, the legal entity that accesses or uses the Platform under the apex retail product (the "**User**", "**you**", or "**your**"). The User and ElevateFinance are each a "**Party**", and together the "**Parties**".
The Customer-facing white-label Platform is governed by the Master Services Agreement (the "**MSA**") and not by this document.
The version published at `/terms-and-conditions` in the Platform is the controlling text from the moment the User accepts it. Where this file and the Platform differ, the Platform controls.
## Defined terms
In these Terms of Service, capitalised terms have the meanings set
out below; all other terms carry their ordinary commercial
meaning.
- "**Service**" or "**Platform**" means the software-as-a-service
product operated by ElevateFinance under the apex domain
`elevatefinance.co`, excluding the white-label tenant
subdomains operated under the MSA.
- "**User**" means the natural person or, where applicable, the
legal entity that accesses or uses the Service.
- "**Fees**" means the amounts payable by the User for the
Service as published at the Platform's pricing surface.
- "**Personal Data**", "**Data Fiduciary**", "**Data Principal**",
and "**Data Processor**" have the meanings given in the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 (the "**DPDP Act**").
- "**Confidential Information**" means non-public information
that one Party discloses to the other in connection with the
Service.
- "**Applicable Law**" means every law, rule, regulation,
circular, notification, order, judgment, or directive in force
in India and applicable to a Party's performance under these
Terms of Service.
- "**Working Day**" means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or
declared public holiday at ElevateFinance's principal place of
business.
Capitalised terms not defined here have the meanings given in the MSA, the Privacy Policy, the Cookie Policy, the Acceptable Use Policy, the Refund Policy, or the Disclaimer.
## 1. Parties and acceptance
**Plain-language summary.** Sign-up, access, or payment counts as
acceptance and creates a binding contract under the Indian Contract
Act 1872.
1.1 ElevateFinance is incorporated under the Companies Act 2013,
with its principal place of business in Bengaluru, Karnataka,
India.
1.2 The User is the natural person, or, in the case of an
enterprise account, the legal entity, that accesses or uses the
Service.
1.3 Acceptance is captured by sign-up, by access to the Service, or by payment of any Fee, and creates a binding contract within Section 10 of the Indian Contract Act 1872.
1.4 The electronic acceptance has the same legal effect as a
hand-signed original under Section 10A of the Information
Technology Act 2000.
## 2. The Service is software, not professional advice
**Plain-language summary.** ElevateFinance is a software vendor.
ElevateFinance is not a Chartered Accountant firm, an Investment
Adviser, or an authorised representative under the Income-tax Act 1961. The User signs every return.
2.1 The Service computes Indian tax law from User-supplied inputs.
Where the User has paid for CA Review, the Service routes the
draft to an empanelled Chartered Accountant for professional
review.
2.2 ElevateFinance is not a Chartered Accountant firm within Section 2(2) of the Chartered Accountants Act 1949. ElevateFinance is not an Investment Adviser within Regulation 2(1)(l) of the SEBI (Investment Advisers) Regulations 2013. ElevateFinance is not authorised under Section 288 of the Income-tax Act 1961.
2.3 The User remains the filer of record under the Income-tax Act
1961 and signs every return through the Income Tax Department's
e-Verify facility.
2.4 The Disclaimer applies in full and is incorporated by
reference.
## 3. Eligibility, capacity, accuracy of inputs
**Plain-language summary.** The User must be at least eighteen years of age and have legal capacity. The User warrants the inputs supplied to the Service are accurate and complete.
3.1 The User must be at least eighteen years of age and have full capacity to contract under Indian law.
3.2 The User warrants the accuracy and completeness of every input supplied to the Service, including PAN, Aadhaar (or an equivalent declaration where Aadhaar is not held), bank-account particulars, income disclosures, and foreign-asset disclosures under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act 2015 and the Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999.
## 4. Fees, taxes, and refunds
**Plain-language summary.** Fees are in Indian Rupees and exclusive of GST unless otherwise stated. The listed payment partner settles the transaction. The Refund Policy governs refunds.
4.1 Fees are denominated in Indian Rupees and are exclusive of Goods and Services Tax unless expressly stated.
4.2 Goods and Services Tax is charged at the prevailing statutory
rate applicable to information-technology services under the
relevant HSN/SAC code.
4.3 The listed payment partner is the sole settlement partner for
the Service.
4.4 The Refund Policy at `/refund-policy` is incorporated by reference. The Refund Policy governs full refunds (within the cancellation window, before any Chartered Accountant assignment), non-refundable cases (post-assignment, post-submission, third- party-error), service-failure discretionary refunds, settlement timelines per instrument, chargeback handling, and grievance escalation.
## 5. Information Technology Act intermediary safe-harbour
**Plain-language summary.** ElevateFinance acts as an intermediary under Section 79 of the IT Act 2000 in respect of content flowing between Users. Notice-and-takedown of unlawful content follows the IT Rules 2021.
5.1 ElevateFinance is an intermediary within Section 2(1)(w) of the IT Act 2000 in respect of content flowing between Users and avails the safe-harbour at Section 79 of that Act.
5.2 ElevateFinance complies with the due-diligence obligations at Rule 3(1) of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2021.
5.3 Notice-and-takedown of unlawful content is implemented in line
with the IT Rules 2021 and the grievance redressal mechanism
described at clause 8.
## 6. Acceptable use
**Plain-language summary.** Acceptance of these Terms of Service is acceptance of the Acceptable Use Policy.
6.1 The User shall use the Service only in accordance with the
Acceptable Use Policy at `/acceptable-use-policy`, which is
incorporated by reference.
## 7. Limitation of liability
**Plain-language summary.** ElevateFinance's liability is capped at the Fees paid for the relevant filing and, in any event, at a contractual ceiling. Indirect and consequential losses are excluded. Statutorily non-excludable liability is preserved.
7.1 Aggregate liability is capped at the lesser of:
(a) the Fees paid for the specific Assessment Year and Form Type
to which the claim relates; or
(b) Indian Rupees Twenty-Five Thousand (Rs 25,000).
7.2 The following are excluded:
(a) indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or
punitive damages;
(b) loss of refund, loss of expected refund interest under
Section 244A of the Income-tax Act 1961;
(c) any penalty, interest, or prosecution assessed against the User on account of disclosure, omission, misstatement, or default attributable to the User; and
(d) any failure of any third-party service that ElevateFinance relies on, including Indian Government data sources, the listed payment partner, and any sub-processor identified in the Sub-Processor List.
7.3 The cap and exclusions do not apply to liability that cannot be excluded or limited under Applicable Law (including the statutorily non-excludable heads under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 and the DPDP Act).
7.4 The Parties have negotiated the cap as a genuine pre-estimate of loss within Section 74 of the Indian Contract Act 1872.
## 8. Grievance redressal
**Plain-language summary.** Every grievance has a named human owner; acknowledgement and substantive response are within the timelines required by the IT Rules 2021 and the DPDP Act.
8.1 Grievances go to `support@elevatefinance.co` with the literal token `[Grievance]` in the subject line.
8.2 ElevateFinance acknowledges receipt within forty-eight (48) hours and provides a substantive response within fifteen (15) calendar days, in line with Rule 5(9) of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2021.
8.3 Statutory escalation is available to the Data Protection Board of India (once operational under the DPDP Act), the consumer forum applicable to the User's place of residence under the Consumer Protection Act 2019, and the courts of competent jurisdiction at Bengaluru.
## 9. Governing law, jurisdiction, dispute resolution
**Plain-language summary.** Indian law governs. Bengaluru courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Consumer protection is preserved. Pre-arbitration good-faith discussion comes first.
9.1 These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of India, excluding its conflict-of-laws principles.
9.2 The courts at Bengaluru, Karnataka have exclusive jurisdiction. The Consumer Protection Act 2019 carve-out preserves the consumer forum applicable to the User's place of residence.
9.3 The Parties shall first attempt to resolve any dispute
through good-faith discussion within thirty (30) calendar days of
written notice.
9.4 Failing resolution under clause 9.3, the dispute shall be finally settled by arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996, by a sole arbitrator agreed between the Parties (or, on failure to agree within fifteen Working Days, appointed under the rules of a recognised Indian arbitral institution). The seat and venue of arbitration shall be Bengaluru, Karnataka. The language shall be English. The arbitral award shall be final and binding.
9.5 Either Party may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction
for injunctive or other equitable relief without breaching this
clause.
## 10. Changes to these Terms
**Plain-language summary.** ElevateFinance may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes are notified in advance. Continued use after the effective date is acceptance.
10.1 ElevateFinance may amend these Terms of Service from time to
time.
10.2 Material changes are notified by email to the registered
email address of the User at least seven (7) calendar days before
they take effect.
10.3 Continued use after the effective date constitutes
acceptance.
## 11. Cross-references
These Terms of Service are read together with:
- Disclaimer
- Privacy Policy
- Cookie Policy
- Acceptable Use Policy
- Refund Policy
- Master Services Agreement (for Customers, not for retail Users)
- Data Processing Agreement (for Customers)
- Service Level Agreement (for paying Customers)
- Sub-Processor List
- Responsible Disclosure Policy
- DPDP Grievance Redressal
- ICAI "Holding-Out" Audit
- SEBI (Investment Advisers) Regulations 2013 -- Safe-Harbour Mapping
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By using the Service, the User confirms that the User has read, understood, and accepted these Terms of Service.