TDS returns are quarterly statements that report the tax you deducted and deposited. Salary TDS and non-salary TDS on payments to residents are reported separately, and each quarter's statement is due on 31 July, 31 October, 31 January or 31 May. Forms 24Q (salary) and 26Q (non-salary) were the long-standing names. From 1 April 2026 the Income-tax Act, 2025 renumbers them as Form 138 and Form 140, but the quarterly rhythm and the preparation sequence remain the same.
This guide is for business owners, accountants and payroll staff in India who deduct tax at source and need to know when each return is due, how challans link to the return, and the steps to file and then check it. It was prepared on 25 October 2026. The new-form details come mainly from secondary sources and are marked as such, so check the Income Tax Department's TDS pages before filing.
Which return covers which payment
| Payment type | Old form | Form from 1 April 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Salary paid to employees | 24Q | 138 |
| Payments to residents other than salary (interest, commission, professional fees, rent and similar) | 26Q | 140 |
| Payments to non-residents | 27Q | 144 |
| TCS (tax collected at source) | 27EQ | 143 |
The mapping above is reported by several secondary sources, including a vendor guide that cites the Income-tax Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 198(E), dated 20 March 2026). It also says single challan-cum-statement forms for property, rent, contractor payments by individuals and virtual digital assets are merged into Form 141. This article focuses on salary and resident non-salary returns.
Which form applies to your filing
- Statements for FY 2025-26, including the January to March 2026 quarter due on 31 May 2026, relate to the earlier period and continue to use 24Q and 26Q.
- Statements for the tax year starting 1 April 2026 use Form 138 and Form 140. For the July to September 2026 quarter, due on 31 October 2026, that means the new forms.
If you use accounting or payroll software, update it before the quarter closes so the right form and sections are generated.
Due dates
Return due dates
The Income Tax Department's tax calendar lists the due dates for Form 26Q (and 27Q) as 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May of the next year. Secondary sources give the same dates for 24Q and for Form 138.
| Quarter | Period | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | April to June | 31 July |
| Q2 | July to September | 31 October |
| Q3 | October to December | 31 January |
| Q4 | January to March | 31 May |
Deposit due dates
The tax itself must be deposited before the return is filed. A 2026 payroll vendor guide states that monthly deposits are due by the 7th of the following month, and that tax deducted in March is due by 30 April. It also says the deposit challan, formerly ITNS 281, is called ITNS 281N from tax year 2026-27. Treat the challan name and the exact deadlines for each payment type as items to verify on the Income Tax portal, since special cases exist (for example, certain property and rent payments are deposited through a challan-cum-statement rather than a monthly challan).
Certificates to deductees
After the return is processed, deductees receive a TDS certificate showing the tax deducted. Certificate form names and deadlines also change under the new Act, so confirm in TRACES which certificate your deductees should receive and by when.
What you need before filing
- An active TAN and your PAN.
- PAN of every deductee. A wrong or missing PAN is one of the most common reasons credit does not reach a deductee.
- Challan details for each deposit: BSR code, challan serial number, deposit date and amount.
- Access to TRACES (tdscpc.gov.in) using TAN credentials, for checking status and downloading files.
- The Return Preparation Utility (RPU) and File Validation Utility (FVU) from the TIN-NSDL download page, and Java installed to run them.
- Login for the Income Tax e-filing portal, with a digital signature certificate (DSC) or electronic verification code (EVC) for authentication.
Filing steps
The sequence below follows the vendor guides and the department's RPU and FVU documentation. Menu names change between releases, so follow the on-screen labels.
- Collect deductee data and challan receipts for the quarter. Make sure each deposit is allocated to the right deductions.
- Download the challan status (CSI) file from the Income Tax portal. A vendor guide gives the path as e-File, e-Pay Tax, Challan Status Inquiry. The CSI file helps RPU match challans without retyping.
- Install or update RPU and FVU. Old versions are rejected, so check the TIN-NSDL download page for the current versions instead of reusing a copy from last year.
- Open RPU, choose the form (24Q or 26Q for FY 2025-26, Form 138 or 140 for 2026-27), the year and the quarter. Enter deductor details, add deductees, map challans, and import the CSI file.
- Validate. FVU checks the file and, if there are no errors, creates a .fvu file. If it reports errors, fix them in RPU and validate again.
- Upload the .fvu file on the Income Tax e-filing portal (a vendor guide gives the path as e-File, e-File TDS Return), authenticate with DSC or EVC and save the acknowledgement.
- Check processing on TRACES (a vendor guide gives Statements/Payments, View Statement Status).
Challans (BSR, serial, date) --+
Deductee PAN and amounts --+--> RPU --> FVU --> .fvu file --> e-filing upload --> TRACES status
CSI file from the portal --+After filing: verify and correct
Processing can finish without defaults or with defaults. If there are defaults, the usual causes are short payment, a challan that does not match, or a PAN error. A department document describes correction statements for this: pay any shortfall, then file a correction statement for the quarter. TRACES also lets you download the latest consolidated statement file, which includes all corrections, so use that as the base for later corrections rather than rebuilding from scratch.
Review each of the following after every quarter:
- The statement status on TRACES shows processed.
- Challan amounts consumed equal the amounts deposited.
- Deductee PANs are valid and the credit shows against them.
- Certificates are generated and issued on time.
Late fees and interest
The tax calendar on the department's site states a fee of Rs 200 per day under section 234E for each day of default in filing, not exceeding the amount deductible. A vendor guide says that from tax year 2026-27 the equivalent is section 427 of the Income-tax Act, 2025. Interest on late deduction and late deposit is a separate charge from the late filing fee. Check the Act for the current rates.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| FVU reports errors on the file | A required field is blank, or a challan amount does not equal the deductions allocated | Fix the flagged lines in RPU and run FVU again |
| Upload rejected | The RPU or FVU version is out of date, or the form or period does not match | Download the current utilities from TIN-NSDL and regenerate |
| Statement processed with defaults | Short payment, challan mismatch or PAN error | Pay any shortfall, then file a correction statement |
| Deductee cannot see credit | Wrong PAN or the challan was not claimed in the statement | Correct the deductee record by correction statement |
| Not sure which form to use | Quarter spans the change to the new Act | Use the old form for FY 2025-26 periods and the new form for periods from 1 April 2026 |
Quarterly checklist
- Deduct at the right rate and record the deductee PAN.
- Deposit the tax by the monthly due date and keep the challan receipt.
- Prepare, validate and upload the statement before the quarter's due date.
- Confirm processing on TRACES and fix defaults at once.
- Issue certificates to deductees.
- For GST-side compliance, see GSTR-1 vs GSTR-3B to keep your returns calendar straight.
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