What Is the TDS Return Due Date for Q4?

Tax deadlines in this country can be daunting! With all those multiple dates, numerous tax forms, and having one missed deadline can lead to many fines that were not anticipated for your business, your payroll provider or your clients if you do any accounting work for them. A good accounting software reminds you of timely filings for the TDS return.  Don’t forget about this important due date for the upcoming TDS Return Q-4!

For this explanation, we will break this request down into as simple of terms as possible without all the technical industry vocabulary that you may be used to seeing. Let’s figure out when the TDS Return is due for Q-4. 

What is TDS?

Tax Deducted at Source is the tax that your business or company has to deduct (i.e. take a portion of the payment made by your business) when you make certain payments; these payments might include salaries, contractor payments, rent paid, professional services received, etc., and then file the tax return with the Government of India by the due date. Essentially, you collect tax on behalf of the Income Tax Department and transfer it to the appropriate agency of the Government of India (in this case, the Income Tax Department). 

Additionally, each quarter is when you’d need to file a TDS return. The TDS return is an official document or record that summarises the taxes you withheld as well as what you deposited. If you fail to file on time, then there are penalties in relation to that. A cloud billing software can help you in getting the daily reminders. 

When is the TDS Return Due Date for Q4?

The due date for the TDS return for the Fourth Quarter (Q4) of the Financial Year (FY) 2025-2026 occurs on May 31, 2026. The Fourth Quarter (Q4) of a Financial Year (FY) includes January through March of the given year. This applies to:

• Form 24Q — TDS on salaries
• Form 26Q — TDS on non-salary payments to residents
• Form 27Q — TDS on payments to non-residents

Now here’s one thing that a whole lot of people miss out on: the TDS deposit date is NOT the same as the return filing due. As far as Non-Govt. Deductors are concerned that if you deduct TDS in March 2026, then you have to deposit that TDS by 30 April 2026. As far as Govt. deductors are concerned, if you are making your payments via Challan, you will have until 7 April 2026 to make your TDS payment for March 2026. Regarding the return itself? It is due by 31 May 2026. Two different dates. Mark both.

If you’re using cloud accounting software for your accounting, this is one of those areas where the software genuinely earns its keep; it tracks these dates for you and sends alerts so nothing slips through the cracks.

All Four Q4 TDS Deadlines at a Glance

In this section, we are providing all four Q4 TDS Deadlines at a glance. 

What	When
TDS deposit for March 2026 (non-government deductors)	30 April 2026
TDS deposit for March 2026 (government deductors via challan)	7 April 2026
Quarter 4 TDS Return – Form 24Q, 26Q, 27Q	31 May 2026
Form 27EQ (TCS Return for Quarter 4)	15 May 2026
Form 16 and Form 16A issuance to deductees	15 June 2026

The Complete TDS Return Schedule for FY 2025–26

Here are the complete details of all the TDS return cycles for FY 2025-26

Quarter	Period	Due Date
Quarter1	April – June 2025	31 July 2025
Quarter2	July – September 2025	31 October 2025
Quarter3	October – December 2025	31 January 2026
Quarter 4	January – March 2026	31 May 2026

The question people have the hardest time answering is Q4 because of the end of the fiscal year (everyone is preparing for closing) and the deadline falling almost 60 days after the end of the quarter.  It is easier to think that you still have plenty of time left to get it done.

What Forms Do You Need to File for Q4?

Form 24Q 

Form 24Q is for salary TDS. If you’re an employer who deducted tax from employee salaries during the year, this is your form. The Q4 version is slightly more involved than the other quarters; it includes Annexure II, which is a detailed, employee-wise breakdown of the entire year’s salary, deductions, and TDS computation. This annexure is what generates Form 16 Part A from TRACES.

Form 26Q

Form 26Q is for everything else,  payments to contractors (194C), professional fees (194J), rent (194I), interest (194A), commission (194H), and so on. For most businesses, this form carries the bulk of the TDS deductions.

Form 27Q

Form 27Q is specifically for payments made to non-residents or foreign companies. Another important item to note regarding TDS payments for property purchases (Form 26QB) and rentals made by individuals (Form 26QC) is that they do not comply with the quarterly return requirement, but rather require you to submit a challan-cum-statement within 30 days from the end of the month of your payment. 

A true Billing Software handles the data organisation for all these forms, which means when filing time arrives, you’re not scrambling to pull records from three different places.

After filing the TDS Return Due date for Q4, don’t forget Form 16

After filing the return for the fourth quarter, you will have one final task: providing your deductees with TDS Certificates. You must provide your salaried employees with a Form 16 and all of your non-salaried deductees with a Form 16A by the 15th day of June 2026. Your employees need Form 16 to file their ITR. Your vendors and contractors need Form 16A to claim TDS credit. Delay this, and you’re causing problems for people beyond your own business.

What Actually Happens If You Miss the Q4 TDS Return Deadline?

This is the part nobody wants to read, but everyone should.

Late filing fee under Section 234E

You’ll be charged ₹200 per day from the day after the due date until you actually file. The total fee can’t exceed the TDS amount for that quarter — but it adds up faster than you’d expect, and it’s non-negotiable. The portal won’t even let you submit the return without paying it first.

Penalty under Section 271H 

In addition to the daily charge imposed by the Assessing Officer, a separate fine of ₹10,000-1,00,000 may also be assessed. 

Interest on late deposit

If you deposited the TDS late (not just filed the return late), you’ll also owe interest at 1.5% per month from the date of deduction to the date of actual payment.

Impact on your employees and vendors

This one’s often overlooked. Until you file the return, your employees and vendors can’t see the TDS credit in their Form 26AS or AIS. That means they can’t file their own ITR accurately — and they’ll come asking questions you’d rather not deal with.

Cloud Billing software has been designed to assist with TDS records from the start. So that there is little worry about filing the fourth quarter return? 

What Cloud Accounting and Billing Software Does for Compliance?

Automating your tax rate updates, producing audit-ready reports, and ensuring the accuracy of your records – these are just some of the benefits that cloud accounting software provides for compliance. In addition, the software helps eliminate the possibility of human errors, tracks regulatory modifications in real-time, identifies any irregularities, and maintains secure storage for all documents. The result? Tax returns, financial reporting, and legal compliance are all simplified and made to be hassle-free! 

Conclusion

The deadline to submit a TDS return for the fourth quarter (Q4) of the FY (2025-2026) is the 31st of May 2026, so there looks to be some time to go! However, because it takes a long time to gather all of your information, reconcile the challan information and file the return, a few weeks can pass quickly. With MargBooks Software, you can track every deduction as it happens, get reminders before quarterly deadlines hit, and have your data ready when it’s time to file. There’s no hunting through spreadsheets or worrying about whether you’ve captured every transaction.

Whether you’re a small business filing Form 26Q for the first time, or an established company managing payroll TDS across hundreds of employees, MargBooks gives you the structure to stay on top of it all — without burning out your accounts team.