Glossary · Income Tax
TDS Return
Also known as: TDS statement, 24Q, 26Q, 27Q
A TDS return is a quarterly statement of tax deducted at source. Form 24Q covers salaries and 26Q covers non-salary payments to residents; 27Q covers payments to non-residents. The quarterly returns are due 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May. TDS itself is paid by the 7th of the next month.
A TDS return is the quarterly statement a deductor files to report the tax it deducted at source and deposited with the government. Every deduction is tagged to the deductee’s PAN, and that tagging is what lets the credit show up in the recipient’s Form 26AS.
How it works
Which form you file depends on what was paid:
- 24Q — TDS on salaries
- 26Q — TDS on non-salary payments to residents
- 27Q — TDS on payments to non-residents
The quarterly return due dates are:
| Quarter | Due date |
|---|---|
| Apr–Jun (Q1) | 31 July |
| Jul–Sep (Q2) | 31 October |
| Oct–Dec (Q3) | 31 January |
| Jan–Mar (Q4) | 31 May |
Separately, the TDS deducted must be deposited by the 7th of the following month. (Always confirm near the deadline — government extensions are common.)
Late filing draws a fee for every day the return stays pending, and a wrong PAN creates a mismatch that the deductee runs into when filing their ITR. Clean, on-time TDS returns also lay the groundwork for clients sitting under a tax audit.
For a firm, TDS is a relentless quarterly rhythm playing out across dozens of clients at once, which is exactly why it belongs on a well-maintained compliance calendar. See how the tools handle these cycles in our rankings and our QwikCA review, and browse related terms in the glossary.