For FY 2025-26, TDS deducted in a month had to be deposited by the 7th of the next month, except March, which was due by 30 April 2026. Quarterly TDS returns were due on 31 July 2025, 31 October 2025, 31 January 2026 and 31 May 2026. Form 16 for employees was due by 15 June 2026. Late deposit attracts interest of 1.5% a month and late filing a fee of Rs 200 a day. The same calendar pattern applies to FY 2026-27.
Tax deducted at source is tax the payer withholds and deposits with the government on behalf of the person being paid. An employer deducts it from salary, a bank from interest, a company from dividends, a tenant from rent above the limit, and a client from a professional's fee. Every deductor has two recurring jobs: deposit the tax by the monthly deadline and file a return by the quarterly deadline. This page sets out the dates for the financial year that ran from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, which is the year most people are reconciling in their 2026 tax filings.
Monthly deposit deadlines
TDS deducted in any month from April 2025 to February 2026 was due by the 7th of the following month. So tax deducted in April 2025 was due by 7 May 2025, and tax deducted in February 2026 by 7 March 2026. The exception is March. TDS deducted in March 2026 was due by 30 April 2026, which gives deductors extra time to close the year. Government offices that pay without a challan follow a same-day rule. For TDS on property purchases under Section 194-IA and on rent by individuals under Section 194-IB, the deposit is due within 30 days of the end of the month of deduction, along with the challan-cum-statement.
Quarterly return deadlines
TDS returns are filed four times a year in Form 24Q for salaries, 26Q for other payments to residents, and 27Q for payments to non-residents. For FY 2025-26 the dates were 31 July 2025 for the April to June quarter, 31 October 2025 for July to September, 31 January 2026 for October to December, and 31 May 2026 for January to March. Tax collected at source returns in Form 27EQ fall a fortnight earlier each quarter: 15 July, 15 October, 15 January and 15 May.
Certificate deadlines
Once the return is processed, the deductor issues certificates. Form 16, the salary TDS certificate, was due to employees by 15 June 2026 for FY 2025-26. Form 16A, for non-salary TDS, is due within 15 days of the return filing deadline for each quarter, so the last one for the year was due by 15 June 2026. Investors should check that the TDS on their dividends and fixed deposit interest appears in Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement before filing their own return.
What late payment costs
Depositing TDS late attracts interest under Section 201(1A) at 1.5% a month, or part of a month, from the date of deduction to the date of deposit. Failing to deduct at all attracts 1% a month from the date it should have been deducted. Filing the return late attracts a fee of Rs 200 a day under Section 234E, capped at the TDS amount. Beyond that, a penalty of Rs 10,000 to Rs 1,00,000 can be levied under Section 271H if the return is more than a year late or contains wrong information. The deductor also loses the deduction for the expense until the TDS is paid.
Why investors should care
TDS deadlines are the deductor's problem, but the credit is the investor's. If a company deposited TDS on a dividend late, the credit may not appear in Form 26AS in time for the investor's return. The thresholds for FY 2025-26 were Rs 10,000 per company for dividends and Rs 50,000 per bank for fixed deposit interest, or Rs 1 lakh for senior citizens. The full list of rates and limits is in the TDS rate chart for 2025-26, and how capital gains and TDS credits fit into the return is in how to report stock market gains in the ITR. Traders who pay rent or fees above the limits are deductors themselves and are bound by the same calendar.
FAQs
What is the TDS deposit due date for March?
30 April of the following year, instead of the usual 7th of the next month.
Do the dates change for FY 2026-27?
The pattern is the same: 7th of the next month for deposits, 30 April for March, and 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May for returns, unless the government extends a date.
Can a TDS return be revised?
Yes. A correction statement can be filed any time to fix a PAN, an amount or a challan detail.
Where is TDS credit checked?
In Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement on the income tax portal. Both update after the deductor's return is processed.