All About TDS: Payment Procedures, Due Dates & Forms under Old vs Revised Income Tax Act, 2025

What is TDS? (Concept)

TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) refers to a system where tax is deducted by the payer at the time of making specified payments and then remitted to the government.

👉 Objective of TDS:

  • Collection of tax at the point of income generation
  • Prevention of tax evasion
  • Ensuring steady inflow of revenue to the government

👉 Tax Credit Available To Taxpayer In:

  • Form 26AS
  • Annual Information Statement (AIS)

🔄 Key Change from 1 April 2026 (New Income Tax Act, 2025)

Structural Transformation

Old Income Tax Act, 1961 New Income Tax Act, 2025
Multiple sections (192, 194 series) Consolidated framework
Complicated structure Simplified approach
Dispersed provisions Centralized system

👉 New Section Mapping:

  • Section 392 → TDS on Salary
  • Section 393 → TDS on Other Payments

✔️ The core concept remains unchanged, but the structure is simplified.

📅 TDS Payment Due Dates

Monthly Due Dates

Particular Due Date
TDS deducted during any month 7th of the following month
TDS deducted in March 30th April (next financial year)

👉 Example:

  • TDS deducted in April → Pay by 7 May
  • TDS deducted in March → Pay by 30 April

✔️ No change under the new Act.

⚠️ Special Case – Government Deductors

  • Payment required on the same day (through book entry)
  • For March deductions → 7 April

⚠️ Interest on Delay

Default Type Interest Rate
Failure to deduct TDS 1% per month
Delay in deposit 1.5% per month

📊 TDS Return Filing Due Dates (FY 2026–27)

Quarter Period Due Date
Q1 Apr – Jun 2026 31 July 2026
Q2 Jul – Sep 2026 31 Oct 2026
Q3 Oct – Dec 2026 31 Jan 2027
Q4 Jan – Mar 2027 31 May 2027

✔️ Filing timeline remains unchanged under the new law.

📄 TDS Return Forms

🔄 A. Quarterly TDS Returns

Purpose Old Form New Form (2025 Act)
Salary TDS 24Q Form 138
Non-salary (Resident) 26Q Form 140
Non-resident payments 27Q Form 142 / 144
TCS Return 27EQ Form 143

✔️ Only form numbers changed; compliance process remains same.

🔄 B. TDS Certificates

Purpose Old Form New Form
Salary Form 16 Form 130
Non-salary Form 16A Form 131

🔄 C. Declaration Forms

Purpose Old Forms New Form
Declaration for non-deduction of TDS 15G / 15H Form 121

✔️ Significant simplification introduced.

🔄 D. Challan-cum-Statement (Major Change)

Earlier Forms New Unified Form
26QB (Property)
26QC (Rent)
26QD (Contract)
26QE (Crypto)
👉 Merged Form 141

✔️ Four separate forms are now consolidated into a single form.

⏱️ Special Cases – Different Deadlines

Nature of Transaction Applicable Form Due Date
Property transactions Form 141 Within 30 days
Rent payments (Individual) Form 141 Within 30 days
Contract/Professional (Individual) Form 141 Within 30 days
Cryptocurrency transactions Form 141 Within 30 days

⚠️ Penalties & Consequences

📌 Late Filing Fee

  • ₹200 per day
  • Maximum penalty limited to the amount of TDS