TDS return filing is the quarterly statement a deductor files to report each deductee, payment, tax deducted and challan. From tax year 2026-27, the forms are 138 (salary), 140 (residents), 144 (non-residents) and 143 (TCS). A wrong row means the vendor does not see the credit; a late return costs ₹200 a day until it is filed.
In OneFinOps, the Tax Agent builds the return from the same postings as the books, so the statement and the ledger start out agreeing.
Key takeaways
- All four forms are due 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May.
- Quarters up to 31 March 2026 stay on the old forms.
- Corrections are now allowed for only two years, down from six.
Which TDS return form do you file?
| Payment type | Old form (to March 2026) | New form (from April 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | Form 24Q | Form 138 |
| Non-salary payments to residents | Form 26Q | Form 140 |
| Payments to non-residents | Form 27Q | Form 144 |
| Tax collected at source | Form 27EQ | Form 143 |
| Property, rent by individuals, certain contract and professional fees | Forms 26QB, 26QC, 26QD, 26QE | Form 141 |
The form follows the payment type and the quarter the deduction belongs to, not the filing date. Form 141 is filed within 30 days from the end of the month of deduction.
TDS return filing due dates for FY 2026-27
Q1 (April to June 2026) is due 31 July 2026, Q2 31 October 2026, Q3 31 January 2027 and Q4 31 May 2027. Certificates follow 15 days later. As of 28 September 2026, no extension has been notified. Deposit dates are in our TDS due dates for FY 2026-27.
How to file a TDS return online: step by step
Keep ready your TAN, challan details, deductee PANs and amounts, and a DSC or EVC.
- Download the latest RPU from Protean, the version for the new forms.
- Enter the statement: deductor details, each challan, then the deductee rows with the payment code for each.
- Validate with the FVU, fix errors and zip the file.
- Log in to the e-filing portal with your TAN and choose the form, tax year, quarter and upload type.
- Upload, e-verify and submit. Note the token number.
- Issue certificates from TRACES: Form 131 (or Form 133 for TCS) within 15 days of the due date.
Example: Nilgiri Tech reports ₹61,400 of TDS in its Q2 Form 140. Filed on 20 December 2026 instead of 31 October, the delay is 50 days, so the fee under section 427 (earlier 234E) is 50 × ₹200 = ₹10,000, below the ₹61,400 cap.
How OneFinOps prepares TDS returns
In OneFinOps the Tax Agent assembles the return from the postings in the period and reconciles it to the ledger, listing each difference with its cause. Challans are pulled from OLTAS and reconciled. The tax manager reviews the differences and signs the return. Only then does the agent file it, store the acknowledgement and schedule the payment.
Tools that sit beside the books need exports to stay in step. Here the filed figure and the booked figure are one number.
