December 2026 Compliance Calendar: Advance Tax, Belated ITR, GSTR-9 and Every Other Deadline

The key December 2026 due dates are:

• 15 December (Tue): third advance tax instalment, 75% of the year's tax.
• 20 December (Sun): GSTR-3B for November.
• 31 December (Thu): belated ITR for AY 2026-27, GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C for FY 2025-26, FAST-DS Form 1, and AOC-4 without additional fee.

November's TDS and TCS must be deposited by 7 December. No quarterly TDS return is due this month.

December closes the compliance year for most businesses. Three things end on 31 December and cannot be redone later: the belated return window for AY 2026-27, the FAST-DS declaration window, and the MCA fee waiver for AOC-4. Around them sits the usual monthly cycle of GST, TDS, EPF and ESI, plus the third advance tax instalment.

This calendar lists each date, who it applies to, and what a miss costs. Every date is taken from the Act, rules or circular that sets it.

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December 2026 at a Glance

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15 December: Third Advance Tax Instalment

Advance tax for tax year 2026-27 is governed by the Income-tax Act, 2025. Section 408 sets the instalments, and each one is a cumulative percentage of the tax you estimate for the year, after TDS and TCS (Section 405).

Example: you now estimate your tax for the year at Rs 4,00,000 after TDS. By 15 December you must have paid Rs 3,00,000 in total. If you paid Rs 60,000 in June and Rs 1,20,000 in September, the December payment is Rs 1,20,000.

Who pays, and who does not

• Liable: anyone whose tax for the year, after TDS and TCS, is Rs 10,000 or more (Section 404). That includes salaried people with rent, capital gains or freelance income on the side.
• Exempt: a resident individual aged 60 or more at any time in the tax year with no business or professional income (Section 403(3)).
• Single instalment by 15 March: businesses on presumptive taxation under Section 58(2) Sl. No. 1 and 3 (the old 44AD and 44ADA). Goods carriage owners under the old 44AE are not covered by this relief and follow the normal instalments.

Interest for a shortfall

Under Section 425 (old Section 234C), a December shortfall below 75% attracts interest of 3% on the shortfall (1% a month for three months). The 12% and 36% tolerance applies only to the June and September instalments, not December. If total advance tax paid by 31 March is below 90% of the assessed tax, Section 424 (old Section 234B) adds 1% a month from April.

December is the best point to re-estimate. You have eight months of actual figures, and Section 406(2) lets you revise the estimate for the remaining instalments. Our December advance tax guide has worked examples, and the 234B and 234C interest guide shows the calculation.

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31 December: Belated and Revised Returns for AY 2026-27

AY 2026-27 (income earned in 2025-26) is still governed by the Income-tax Act, 1961.

What changed in 2026

Until this year, belated and revised returns shared the same last date, so a person who filed a belated return in late December had no time left to correct it. The Finance Act, 2026 substituted Section 139(5) so a revised return can be filed before the end of the relevant assessment year (31 March 2027 for AY 2026-27) or before assessment is completed, whichever is earlier. It also inserted Section 234-I, a fee for revising after 31 December. The same change was made in Section 263(5) of the 2025 Act for later years.

The belated return date did not move. After 31 December 2026, the only route for an unfiled AY 2026-27 return is an updated return (ITR-U), which cannot be used to claim a refund or a loss.

What a belated return costs you

• Late fee under Section 234F.
• Interest under Section 234A at 1% a month on unpaid tax from the original due date.
• No carry-forward of business or capital losses for the year. A loss return must be filed by the Section 139(1) due date to carry those losses forward (Section 139(3) read with Sections 72, 74 and 80). Loss under the head house property and unabsorbed depreciation are the exceptions.

See our guide to belated, revised and updated returns and the Section 234F late fee guide.

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31 December: GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C for FY 2025-26

Section 44 of the CGST Act, read with Rule 80, makes the annual return for FY 2025-26 due on 31 December 2026.

The ITC window has already closed

Section 16(4) let you take FY 2025-26 input tax credit only until 30 November 2026 or the date you filed the annual return, whichever was earlier. That date has passed. GSTR-9 can report credit already taken in returns filed by 30 November, but it cannot be used to claim new FY 2025-26 credit. If you are filing GSTR-9 in December, the reconciliation is about explaining differences between GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-2B and your books, not recovering missed credit.

A late GSTR-9 attracts a late fee under Section 47(2) for each day of delay. Our GSTR-9 guide for FY 2025-26 covers the tables, the new rows and common mismatches.

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31 December: FAST-DS 2026 Form 1

The Foreign Assets of Small Taxpayers Disclosure Scheme, 2026 (Chapter IV, Sections 130 to 144 of the Finance Act, 2026) takes declarations in Form 1 on the income tax portal until 31 December 2026.

• What it is for: foreign assets or foreign income that were left out of past returns, including assets bought from income already taxed in India but not reported in Schedule FA.
• What is due on 31 December: only the declaration. The tax authority then issues Form 2 with the amount payable. Payment is due within two months from the end of the month in which you receive Form 2, or within two further months with simple interest at 1% a month.
• After 31 December: no declaration can be made. Undisclosed foreign assets then fall under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, which taxes them at 30% and adds a penalty of three times that tax.

Foreign bank accounts are valued at the total deposits made into them, not the closing balance. Our FAST-DS 2026 guide explains the two categories, valuation and the Form 1 to Form 4 process.

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ROC: The MCA Fee Waiver, Read Carefully

MCA General Circular 05/2026 (File No. Policy-17/111/2022-CL-V-MCA) relaxes additional fees for FY 2025-26 annual filings.

What the circular does not do

• It does not extend the AGM. A company that held its AGM late is still in default under Section 96, even if it files inside the waiver window.
• It does not reset the clock. A filing after the waiver window pays all fees, including the additional fee, counted from the original due date. AOC-4 filed on 5 January 2027 pays the Rs 100 a day additional fee from 30 October 2026, not from 31 December.
• It covers only these forms. ADT-1 (due within 15 days of the AGM) and other event-based forms keep their normal additional fee slabs.

Our AOC-4 filing guide and MGT-7 filing guide walk through the V3 portal steps.

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GST Dates in December

QRMP filers have no GSTR-3B in December. November is the second month of the October to December quarter. Pay November's tax through PMT-06 by 25 December and upload invoices in IFF by 13 December if your buyers want the credit early. See our QRMP scheme guide.

First GSTR-7 for scrap buyers. Registered buyers who started deducting 2% GST TDS on scrap purchases from 1 November 2026 (Notification 07/2026-Central Tax) file their first GSTR-7, for November, by 10 December. Details are in our GST reverse charge on scrap guide.

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TDS and TCS Dates

TDS and TCS from 1 April 2026 fall under the Income-tax Act, 2025, with new form numbers under the Income-tax Rules, 2026.

No quarterly TDS return in December

Some calendars put a TDS return in December. That is wrong. Rule 219 of the Income-tax Rules, 2026 sets the quarterly statement dates:

The statements are Form 138 (salary, old 24Q), Form 140 (resident non-salary, old 26Q), Form 144 (non-residents, old 27Q) and Form 143 (TCS, old 27EQ). Late deposit of TDS attracts interest at 1.5% a month or part of a month, so the 7 December deposit matters more than any return this month.

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EPF, ESI and Professional Tax

• 15 December: EPF and ESI contributions for November wages. Use the Rs 25,000 EPF wage ceiling in force from 17 September 2026 (S.O. 5109(E)). See our PF and ESI employer guide.
• Professional tax: due dates are set by each state's law and differ. Telangana employers can check the rules in our Telangana professional tax guide, and should confirm the current date on the state Commercial Taxes portal.

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What a Missed December Date Costs

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December 2026 Checklist

• Deposit November TDS and TCS by 7 December
• Send November's Form 127 declarations to the tax department by 7 December
• File GSTR-7 and GSTR-8 by 10 December, including the first GSTR-7 for scrap purchases
• File GSTR-1 for November by 11 December
• Upload IFF by 13 December, if you are on QRMP and want to
• Re-estimate the year's tax and pay advance tax up to 75% by 15 December
• Issue Form 132 for October deductions by 15 December
• Pay EPF and ESI for November by 15 December
• File GSTR-3B for November by 20 December
• Pay PMT-06 by 25 December, if you are on QRMP
• File Form 141 for November deductions by 30 December
• File any pending AY 2026-27 belated return by 31 December
• File revised returns by 31 December to avoid the Section 234-I fee
• Reconcile and file GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C for FY 2025-26 by 31 December
• File AOC-4 for FY 2025-26 by 31 December to stay inside the fee waiver
• File FAST-DS Form 1 by 31 December, if it applies to you
• Plan MGT-7 or MGT-7A before 31 January 2027

For November's dates, see our November 2026 due dates. For the full year, see the FY 2026-27 compliance calendar.

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Where Tax Garden Helps

December puts the third advance tax instalment, the annual GST return, the last belated return date and the AOC-4 fee waiver into the same month. Each needs reconciliation before it is filed. Tax Garden's compliance team handles:

• Advance tax re-estimation with eight months of actuals, before 15 December
• GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C reconciliation against GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-2B and your books
• Belated and revised returns for AY 2026-27
• AOC-4 and MGT-7 inside the MCA fee waiver windows
• GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, PMT-06, TDS deposit and Forms 132 and 141 for the monthly cycle

Looking for expert help with December 2026 compliance: let Tax Garden file it? The team at Tax Garden, based in Kondapur, Hyderabad, helps Indian SMEs stay compliant. End-to-end filings, notices, and deadline tracking, all in one place.

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Sources (official): Sections 403, 404, 405, 406, 408, 424 and 425 of the Income-tax Act, 2025; Sections 139(3), 139(4), 139(5), 234A, 234F and 234-I of the Income-tax Act, 1961, and the Finance Bill, 2026 with its Memorandum (indiabudget.gov.in); Chapter IV of the Finance Act, 2026 (FAST-DS); Rules 212, 215 and 219 of the Income-tax Rules, 2026 (incometaxindia.gov.in); Sections 16(4), 44 and 47 of the CGST Act, 2017, Rule 80 of the CGST Rules, 2017, Notification 15/2025-Central Tax and Notification 07/2026-Central Tax (taxinformation.cbic.gov.in); Sections 92(4), 96 and 137(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 and MCA General Circular 05/2026 (mca.gov.in); S.O. 5109(E) (EPF wage ceiling). Check incometax.gov.in, gst.gov.in and mca.gov.in for any extension notified during the month.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the advance tax due date in December 2026?

15 December 2026 (Tuesday). By this date your total advance tax paid for tax year 2026-27 must reach 75% of the tax you estimate for the year, after TDS and TCS (Section 408 of the Income-tax Act, 2025). It is cumulative: subtract what you paid in June and September. A shortfall attracts interest under Section 425 (old Section 234C).

Is a TDS return due in December 2026?

No. The statement for October to December 2026 (Form 138, 140, 143 or 144, the old 24Q, 26Q, 27EQ and 27Q) is due on 31 January 2027 under Rule 219 of the Income-tax Rules, 2026. December only has the monthly deposit of November's TDS and TCS by 7 December, plus Form 141 and certificate dates for the property and rent cases.

What is the last date to file a belated ITR for AY 2026-27?

31 December 2026 (Section 139(4) of the Income-tax Act, 1961). The late fee under Section 234F is Rs 5,000, or Rs 1,000 where total income does not exceed Rs 5 lakh, and interest under Section 234A applies on unpaid tax. A belated return cannot carry forward business or capital losses for that year.

Can I still revise my AY 2026-27 return after 31 December 2026?

Yes. The Finance Act, 2026 amended Section 139(5) so a revised return can be filed until the end of the assessment year, which is 31 March 2027 for AY 2026-27, or before assessment is completed if earlier. A revised return filed after 31 December 2026 attracts a fee under the new Section 234-I: Rs 1,000 if total income is up to Rs 5 lakh, Rs 5,000 otherwise.

When is GSTR-9 due for FY 2025-26?

31 December 2026 (Section 44 of the CGST Act read with Rule 80). It is optional where aggregate turnover for FY 2025-26 is up to Rs 2 crore (Notification 15/2025-Central Tax) and mandatory above that. GSTR-9C, the reconciliation statement, is required where aggregate turnover exceeds Rs 5 crore, and it is self-certified.

Has the MCA extended the AOC-4 and MGT-7 due dates for FY 2025-26?

No, it waived the additional fee instead. MCA General Circular 05/2026 allows AOC-4 forms for FY 2025-26 to be filed without additional fee up to 31 December 2026, and MGT-7 or MGT-7A up to 31 January 2027. It does not extend the AGM deadline. A filing after the window pays all fees, including additional fees, from the original due date.

What is the FAST-DS 2026 deadline?

Form 1, the declaration under the Foreign Assets of Small Taxpayers Disclosure Scheme, 2026, must be filed on the income tax portal by 31 December 2026. Payment is not due by then: it follows the Form 2 order, within two months from the end of the month in which Form 2 is received, or two further months with interest at 1% a month.

Do QRMP taxpayers file GSTR-3B in December 2026?

No. November is the second month of the October to December quarter, so QRMP taxpayers only pay November's tax through PMT-06 by 25 December and may upload November invoices in IFF by 13 December. The quarterly GSTR-3B for October to December is due in January 2027.

Which December 2026 due dates fall on a weekend?

13 December (IFF, GSTR-5 and GSTR-6) and 20 December (GSTR-3B) are Sundays. Do not assume a weekend date moves to Monday; file by the Friday before.