TDS Payment Due Date 2026 – Monthly Deadlines, Quarterly Returns, and Penalties

For employers, business owners, and property buyers who are responsible for deducting and depositing TDS, missing even a single monthly deadline triggers compounding interest penalties. Understanding the exact due dates — and the consequences of missing them — is fundamental TDS compliance knowledge.
 

This page covers:

• What TDS payment due date is
• Monthly TDS payment deadline calendar for FY 2025-26
• Why March has a different TDS payment deadline (30 April)
• Quarterly TDS return filing due dates
• Interest on late TDS payment — Section 201(1A)
• Late filing fee for TDS returns — Section 234E
• Penalty for non-filing of TDS returns — Section 271H
• How to pay TDS online — OLTAS and income tax portal
• TDS relevant to home loan and property transactions
• Key TDS forms — 24Q, 26Q, 26QB

Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) is the mechanism under which a payer (employer, business, bank, or buyer) deducts a specified percentage of tax from a payment before crediting the recipient, and deposits the deducted amount with the government. The TDS system is designed to ensure continuous, distributed tax collection rather than waiting for annual ITR filings.

TDS due dates are strict — the Income Tax Act specifies exact deadlines, and missing them triggers automatic interest penalties that accrue monthly until payment and return filing are completed.

For TDS deducted in March, the government provides an extended deadline of 30 April of the following month. This extension is because March is the financial year-end, with significantly higher transaction and deduction volumes — year-end salary TDS, advance tax settlements, and the last quarter's accumulated deductions. The extension gives deductors additional time to process the higher volume while still ensuring deposit before the new financial year's work fully commences.

TDS returns are filed electronically through the Income Tax Department's TRACES portal. The TDS return summarises all deductions made, challan details for deposits, and deductee-wise breakdowns.

Interest for late payment — Section 201(1A)

• TDS not deducted: Interest at 1% per month from the date on which TDS was deductible to the date it is actually deducted
• TDS deducted but not deposited: Interest at 1.5% per month from the date of deduction to the date of actual deposit
• Interest is calculated on a per-month basis (even a fraction of a month counts as a full month)
   

Late filing fee — Section 234E

• Rs. 200 per day for every day of delay in filing the TDS return after the due date
• The total late fee cannot exceed the total TDS for that return period
   

Penalty for non-filing — Section 271H

• A minimum penalty of Rs. 10,000 to a maximum of Rs. 1 lakh may be imposed for failure to file TDS returns within one year of the due date

1. Visit the Income Tax portal at  incometax.gov.in or the TIN-NSDL portal (tin.tin.nsdl.com)
2. Navigate to 'e-Payment of Taxes' (OLTAS — Online Tax Accounting System)
3. Select Challan 281 — the TDS/TCS payment challan
4. Enter your TAN (Tax Deduction Account Number — mandatory for all deductors)
5. Select the assessment year, nature of payment (which TDS category), and payment amount
6. Choose payment method — net banking from your deductor's bank account
7. Complete payment and download the challan receipt — the CIN (Challan Identification Number) on this receipt is needed when filing TDS returns

TDS under Section 194-IA: When a buyer purchases immovable property for Rs. 50 lakh or more, they must deduct 1% TDS on the purchase price and deposit it via Form 26QB within 30 days of the end of the month in which TDS is deducted. This TDS is the buyer's obligation, not the seller's.
TDS under Section 194-IB: Tenants (individuals and HUFs) paying rent above Rs. 50,000 per month must deduct 2% TDS at the time of the last month's rent or vacating, and deposit it via Form 26QC.

Impact on home loan: The TDS paid on a property purchase (by the buyer) is credited to the seller's PAN — the seller can claim this TDS credit against their capital gains tax liability when filing their ITR. For the buyer, it is an obligation that, if missed, attracts the interest penalties noted above.

Bajaj Finance offers home loans from 7.25% p.a.* with amounts up to Rs. 15 Crore* and tenures up to 32 years. Check your eligibility today.
 

Timely TDS payment and return filing is the most basic and consequential tax compliance obligation for any employer, business, or property buyer. Setting calendar reminders for the 7th of each month — and the 30th of April for March TDS — prevents avoidable interest penalties.