ClearTax BLACK API integration (ITR & OpenFinance)

Deliverables checklist

• OpenAPI / Swagger spec for ITR, Form 16, AIS, MF and SIP endpoints
• Protocol & auth flow report (PAN-OTP login, token refresh, consent receipt)
• Runnable Python and Node.js sources, Docker compose, sample .env
• Postman collection plus pytest / Jest test suites with fixtures
• Compliance pack: data-minimization notes, retention defaults, consent UX text aligned with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023

Engagement options

Two delivery models, both designed around BLACK's PAN-driven flows:

• Source code from $300 — runnable connector, parsers and docs handed to your team; you self-host, pay only after acceptance.
• Pay-per-call hosted API — call our endpoints, get normalized ITR / AIS / portfolio JSON, billed per request with no upfront cost. Useful when filing volume is seasonal (June–September peak) and a hosted SLA is preferable.

1. Salary-loan underwriting

A digital lender requests, with consent, the borrower's last two filed ITRs and the corresponding AIS section. We return a normalized object containing gross income, total deductions, computed tax and TDS reconciliation. Maps to OpenFinance "income view" use cases more reliably than scraping bank statements alone.

2. Wealth-manager portfolio aggregation

A wealth advisor needs to consolidate a client's BLACK-held direct mutual funds with externally held regular plans. The connector pulls folio number, scheme code, NAV, units, SIP mandates and ELSS lock-in dates, then merges with CAMS / KFintech data so dashboards show one ledger.

3. Pre-fill ITR for partner platforms

A neobank or HR portal wants to offer ITR filing inside its app. We mirror BLACK's PAN-based prefill: validate PAN, fetch the e-filing prefill JSON, parse multiple Form 16 PDFs and populate the partner's ITR draft. The user finishes inside the partner UI; we handle the BLACK-style auto regime selection.

4. Compliance & audit trail for CAs

For chartered accountants servicing 100s of clients, we provide a webhook stream: every time a return is filed, refund status changes, or AIS adds a new line item, the firm's practice-management software receives a JSON event with the AY, PAN hash and event type — no daily polling.

5. ELSS §80C investment proof bot

HR departments demand investment proof every January. We expose a single endpoint that returns a verified, time-stamped PDF of the user's ELSS folio and a JSON statement listing 80C-eligible amounts. Saves HR teams the document-collection sprint.

Auth: PAN + OTP token exchange

POST /api/v1/black/auth
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "pan": "ABCDE1234F",
  "otp": "182936",
  "device_id": "of-lab-7e21",
  "consent_ref": "DPDP-2026-0001"
}

200 OK
{
  "access_token": "<jwt>",
  "refresh_token": "<rt>",
  "expires_in": 1800,
  "scope": "itr:read aif:read mf:read"
}

ITR + AIS unified statement

POST /api/v1/black/statement
Authorization: Bearer <ACCESS_TOKEN>

{
  "pan": "ABCDE1234F",
  "assessment_year": "2025-26",
  "include": ["itr", "form16", "ais", "26as", "capital_gains"]
}

200 OK
{
  "itr": { "form": "ITR-2", "ack_no": "...", "refund": 18420 },
  "form16": [{ "employer_tan": "...", "gross": 1845000 }],
  "ais": { "tds": 142850, "dividend": 6210, "interest": 9380 },
  "capital_gains": { "stcg": 12200, "ltcg": 84700 }
}

Mutual fund webhook (SIP & ELSS)

// Webhook payload — registered URL receives events
POST https://your-app.example/webhooks/black-mf
X-OFLab-Signature: sha256=...

{
  "event": "sip.installment.success",
  "folio": "91234567/00",
  "scheme_code": "INF200K01UM9",
  "scheme_name": "SBI ELSS Tax Saver Direct",
  "amount": 5000,
  "nav": 465.892,
  "units": 10.732,
  "lock_in_until": "2029-04-15",
  "occurred_at": "2026-04-15T08:32:11+05:30"
}

Regulatory anchors

Connectors are built around four anchors. First, the Income Tax Department's ERI API specifications, which define the prefill, register-client and submit flows for filing. Second, the AMFI distribution framework (BLACK distributes under ARN registration, and we honour AMFI disclosures). Third, the SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 2026 approved on 17 December 2025, which simplify cost disclosures we mirror in API responses. Fourth, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 for consent receipts.

Operational controls

• Consent reference (consent_ref) required on every call; expires automatically.
• PAN hashed at rest (SHA-256 with per-tenant pepper) — raw PAN never lands in logs.
• Field-level redaction toggles (e.g. drop bank account numbers when only income view is needed).
• Region-locked storage in ap-south-1 by default; export controls for NRI flows.
• Data retention default 90 days, configurable to "no persistence" (live pass-through).

Recent app updates (last 24 months)

In 2024–2025 BLACK shipped one-click PAN-based prefill from the government e-filing portal, multi-Form 16 ingestion for job switchers, and bulk import of capital-gains transactions from broker CSVs. Recent ELSS catalogues now reflect SEBI's 2026 cost-disclosure simplifications, which our API surfaces as explicit tex_expense_ratio_v2 fields.

User profile & reach

BLACK is positioned as India's leading consumer ITR e-filing and direct mutual fund app. Primary users are salaried professionals and freelancers across metros and tier-2 cities; growing NRI segment uses it for India-side filings. Available on Android and iOS; an English-first UI with PAN-driven onboarding makes it a fit for B2B partners targeting Indian payroll, lending and wealth segments.

About OpenFinance Lab

We are an independent studio focused on fintech protocol analysis, OpenData connectors, and authorised API integration. The team has shipped ITR, AIS, payments and wealth integrations for Indian banks, NBFCs, neobanks and global wealth platforms.

• Tax, payroll, lending, wealth and cross-border clearing experience
• Custom Python / Node.js / Go SDKs and Postman test harnesses
• End-to-end pipeline: protocol analysis → build → validation → compliance
• Source code delivery from $300; pay only after acceptance
• Pay-per-call hosted API for seasonal ITR-filing volumes

Contact

Send us your target app and the exact data fields you need. We respond with scope, timeline and pricing within one business day.

Contact page

Engagement workflow

1. Scope confirmation: which BLACK objects you need (ITR / Form 16 / AIS / MF / SIP).
2. Protocol analysis & consent design (2–5 business days).
3. Build, parser tuning & internal validation (3–8 business days).
4. Documentation, Postman collection, sample test cases (1–2 business days).
5. Typical first delivery 5–15 business days; AIS-grade pipelines may take 2–3 weeks.

FAQ

What ClearTax BLACK data can be exported through API integration?

How long does a first ClearTax BLACK integration take?

Is this approach compliant with Indian tax and SEBI rules?

Can the same connector also reach AIS / Form 26AS?