Income Tax

TDS Return Due Dates, ₹200 Daily Fee and Correction Window

CA Nikhil Gupta·Aug 2026·9 min readIncome Tax

Quarterly TDS statements are generally due on 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May.

Quarterly TDS statements are generally due on 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May. Delay attracts a ₹200-per-day fee capped at the TDS amount, and incorrect or late statements can also trigger penalty subject to relief.

Legal or Computational Framework

Governing rule

Tax deduction, deposit, statement filing and certificate issue are separate obligations. Correction statements have an outer statutory window, but prompt correction is essential for deductee credit.

Correct workflow

Close deductee and challan data; validate PAN and rates; deposit tax and interest; file the correct quarterly form by due date; pay late fee before delayed filing; issue certificate; correct defaults and reconcile TRACES.

Step-by-step method

  1. Close deductee and challan data.
  2. validate PAN and rates.
  3. deposit tax and interest.
  4. file the correct quarterly form by due date.
  5. pay late fee before delayed filing.
  6. issue certificate.
  7. correct defaults and reconcile TRACES.

Worked example

A Q2 statement due 31 October is filed 20 days late with TDS ₹1 lakh. The section 234E fee is ₹4,000, subject to the cap, in addition to any deposit interest.

The example is an audit trail, not a substitute for the user's facts. Change one input—residence, payment date, tax year, asset, return form, GST status, employer category or supporting document—and the result can change.

Edge cases

What Generic Pages Miss

  • Treating tax deposit as return filing.
  • Ignoring unmatched challans.
  • Using wrong quarter or year.
  • Issuing certificates without reconciliation.
  • Missing late fee.

Generic pages often confuse gross income with net receipt, TDS with final tax, GST turnover with income-tax turnover or a portal value with legal eligibility. Finin2min should show why an amount is accepted, deferred, reversed, rejected or carried forward.

Practical Documentation Checklist

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For the complete rules on this topic, see the core guide: TDS Sections 192-194T Consolidated: Section 392 & 393 Mapping.

See the broader Income-tax Act 2025 study guide hub for related rules and calculators on this topic.

Finin2min Summary

Quarterly TDS statements are generally due on 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May. Delay attracts a ₹200-per-day fee capped at the TDS amount, and incorrect or late statements can also trigger penalty subject to relief.

Finin2min rule: classify the legal event, calculate from source records and show every adjustment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the direct answer for TDS return due dates and late fee?
Quarterly TDS statements are generally due on 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May. Delay attracts a ₹200-per-day fee capped at the TDS amount, and incorrect or late statements can also trigger penalty subject to relief.
Which law or period applies?
Tax deduction, deposit, statement filing and certificate issue are separate obligations. Correction statements have an outer statutory window, but prompt correction is essential for deductee credit. AY 2026–27 remains under the Income-tax Act, 1961; income from 1 April 2026 is governed by the Income-tax Act, 2025 where relevant.
What calculation or workflow should be followed?
Close deductee and challan data; validate PAN and rates; deposit tax and interest; file the correct quarterly form by due date; pay late fee before delayed filing; issue certificate; correct defaults and reconcile TRACES.
What does the example demonstrate?
A Q2 statement due 31 October is filed 20 days late with TDS ₹1 lakh. The section 234E fee is ₹4,000, subject to the cap, in addition to any deposit interest.
Which records should be retained?
Keep deductee ledger, challans/CSI, statement acknowledgement, TRACES defaults, fee/interest working so the result can be reproduced and defended.
What is the most common error?
The most frequent errors are treating tax deposit as return filing and ignoring unmatched challans.

Source and review trail

Use the current official instrument, portal or regulator publication before acting. This panel separates the category authority from page-specific references.

Primary category
Income Tax
Official starting point
www.incometax.gov.in
Editorial review date
2026-08-02
Content status
Finin2min explanation; official source controls where facts, law, rates, forms or procedures can change.

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