The government has cracked the whip on several large companies, which had either failed to deposit tax deducted at source (TDS) with the income tax (I-T) department or delayed the payment, with claims against top 10 such entities adding up to nearly Rs 350 crore. I-T authorities have gone ahead and launched prosecution action, while some of the companies have come forward to settle the cases. Under the law, individuals as well as companies have to deduct tax for several payments — ranging salaries to rent and payments to contractors above a specified threshold.