April 2026 brought the Income-tax Act, 2025 into force, and with it a new set of TDS forms. Most deductors met them for the first time in July, filing the April–June statements. The July–September statements are due next, on 31 October 2026 — and this time they share the month with an extension that many people have misread as covering them. Position as on 5 October 2026.
Short answer
Short answer: the quarterly TDS and TCS statements for July–September 2026 are due by 31 October 2026, which is a Saturday. Salary TDS goes in Form 138 (formerly 24Q), other payments to residents in Form 140 (formerly 26Q), payments to non-residents in Form 144 (formerly 27Q), and TCS in Form 143 (formerly 27EQ). The CBDT's 28 September extension does not apply to them, and the late fee is ₹200 a day under section 427 of the Income-tax Act, 2025, capped at the tax involved.
Which form you file — old and new numbers
| New form | Replaces | What it covers | Q2 due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 138 | Form 24Q | TDS on salary (and pension paid through employers or specified banks) | 31 October 2026 |
| Form 140 | Form 26Q | TDS on non-salary payments to residents — professional fees, contractors, rent, commission, interest | 31 October 2026 |
| Form 144 | Form 27Q | TDS on payments to non-residents | 31 October 2026 |
| Form 143 | Form 27EQ | TCS collected by sellers and other collectors | 31 October 2026 |
| Form 141 family | Forms 26QB / 26QC / 26QD / 26QE | One-off challan-cum-statements — property purchase, rent by individuals, contract and professional payments by individuals, virtual digital assets | Transaction-based, not quarterly |
The quarterly calendar itself is unchanged: 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May for the four quarters of the tax year. What changed is the form numbers, the section references inside them, and the certificates that follow. A business that files Form 140 for a contractor and Form 138 for its staff files both by the same date; a business with a non-resident consultant adds Form 144.
Not part of the audit extension
On 28 September 2026 the CBDT issued Circular No. 07/2026, extending the AY 2026-27 tax audit report to 21 October and audit-case income tax returns to 21 November 2026. That circular is about audit reports and returns of income only. It does not mention TDS or TCS statements, and their 31 October date stands. Our separate guide at /knowledge/tax-audit-itr-due-date-extended-21-october-21-november-2026 sets out everything the circular did and did not move.
Late fee, penalty and interest
- Late fee: ₹200 for every day the statement is late, under section 427 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 (the successor to section 234E). The total fee cannot exceed the tax required to be deducted or collected in that statement, and it must be paid before the late statement is accepted.
- Worked example: a Form 140 for ₹48,000 of TDS filed on 30 November 2026 is 30 days late — a fee of ₹6,000. Filed six months late, the fee would reach the ₹48,000 cap.
- Penalty: separately, a penalty of ₹10,000 to ₹1,00,000 can be levied for not filing a statement or for incorrect particulars in it, as under the old section 271H. Filing within the year with tax, fee and interest paid has historically kept deductors out of it.
- Interest: deducting late or depositing late carries interest of 1% a month for late deduction and 1.5% a month for late deposit, for each month or part of a month — the same rates as before. Interest is on the tax, the fee is on the statement; one does not replace the other.
- Monthly deposit: tax deducted in a month is deposited by the 7th of the following month, so the September deposit is due 7 October 2026 — before the statement that reports it.
Before you file: the checks that prevent defaults
Most TDS notices are not about missing statements; they come from statements filed with mismatches. A short check before filing saves months of correction work:
- Match every challan to its deductions. Each challan's identification number (BSR code, date and serial number) must tie exactly to the entries in the statement.
- Verify PANs of every deductee. An invalid or missing PAN triggers a higher deduction rate and a demand on the deductor, and a PAN made inoperative for not being linked with Aadhaar attracts the higher rate too.
- Use the right section code under the new Act. Section numbers changed with the 2025 Act, and the utility's codes follow the new numbering — a 1961 section entered out of habit is a common rejection.
- Reconcile with your books and GST data. Professional and contract payments in the ledger should match what the statement reports; gaps are exactly what the processing centre flags.
- Check lower-deduction certificates. Where a deductee holds a certificate for lower or nil deduction, quote it — otherwise the full rate is expected.
- File before the weekend. With 31 October 2026 falling on a Saturday, filing in the week before avoids a portal crowd and an avoidable fee.
Form 131 and Form 130 — the certificates that follow
| Certificate | Replaces | Issued to | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 131 | Form 16A | Deductees of non-salary TDS (Form 140 / 144 payments) | Within 15 days of the statement due date — 15 November 2026 for Q2 |
| Form 130 | Form 16 | Employees (Form 138) | Once a year, by 15 June after the tax year — 15 June 2027 for FY 2026-27 |
Both are generated from the filed statement, so a late or defective Form 140 means late or wrong certificates for every vendor and professional who relies on them for their own return. The credit a deductee sees in Form 26AS and AIS also flows only from the statement — which is why deductees notice a missed 31 October quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the due date for the Q2 TDS return for FY 2026-27?
31 October 2026 for the July–September quarter, for Forms 138 (salary), 140 (non-salary to residents) and 144 (non-residents), and for the TCS statement in Form 143. 31 October 2026 is a Saturday.
Has the 31 October 2026 TDS return date been extended?
No. CBDT Circular No. 07/2026 of 28 September 2026 extended only the AY 2026-27 tax audit report (to 21 October) and audit-case income tax returns (to 21 November). Quarterly TDS and TCS statements are not covered, so the 31 October 2026 date stands as on 5 October 2026.
What replaced Form 24Q and Form 26Q?
From 1 April 2026, under the Income-tax Act, 2025, Form 138 replaces Form 24Q for salary TDS, Form 140 replaces Form 26Q for non-salary payments to residents, Form 144 replaces Form 27Q for non-residents, and Form 143 replaces Form 27EQ for TCS.
What is the late fee for filing the TDS return after 31 October 2026?
₹200 for each day of delay under section 427 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 — the successor to section 234E — capped at the amount of TDS or TCS in that statement. A penalty of ₹10,000 to ₹1,00,000 can apply separately for non-filing or incorrect particulars.
When must Form 131 be issued for the July–September quarter?
By 15 November 2026 — within 15 days of the 31 October due date for the quarterly statement. Form 131 is the non-salary TDS certificate that replaced Form 16A.
Is Form 130 issued every quarter?
No. Form 130, which replaced Form 16 for salaried employees, is issued once a year — by 15 June after the end of the tax year, so by 15 June 2027 for FY 2026-27.
Do I file Form 141 every quarter for property or rent TDS?
No. The Form 141 family replaced the transaction-based challan-cum-statements (26QB, 26QC, 26QD, 26QE). They are filed per transaction or payment, not as part of the quarterly statements.
TDS returns and compliance
Quarterly statements on the new forms, challan matching and certificates — scope and fee confirmed in writing before work begins.
Learn more