Summary of this article
Quarterly TDS statements for July-September are due by October 31, 2026.
Form 131 certificates for non-salary payments must be issued by November 15.
Late TDS compliance can attract interest, fees and penalties.
Tax deducted at source (TDS) does not complete a deductor's job. The tax must reach the government, the deductions must be reported through the right forms, and recipients must get the required certificates. For the July-September quarter of Tax Year 2026-27, the next two dates are October 31 and November 15, 2026.
The Income Tax Department has drawn attention to these deadlines in a post on X. The filing rules also use new form numbers under the Income-tax Act, 2025, which took effect on April 1 this year. Anyone handling TDS needs to check the forms applicable to their payments before submitting a statement.
Four Forms Cover The October Filing Deadline
The October 31 deadline applies to quarterly TDS and TCS statements for the second quarter of Tax Year 2026-27.
Employers must use Form 138 to report tax deducted from salaries. The form also covers reporting by eligible banks on pension and interest income of senior citizens. Form 140 applies to TDS on payments other than salary made to residents. This includes applicable payments for rent, professional services, commission and interest.
Where payments covered by the rules are made to non-residents, deductors must report them through Form 144. Form 143 covers quarterly statements for tax collected at source (TCS).
Under the earlier Income-tax Act, 1961, the corresponding forms were numbered 24Q, 26Q, 27Q and 27EQ. The new numbering means deductors need to use the applicable form under the current tax framework rather than rely solely on the old form names.
Form 141 has a separate filing schedule. It is a challan-cum-statement for specified transactions, including certain property transfers, rent payments, payments by individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) to contractors or professionals, and virtual digital asset transfers. The filing deadline is generally one month after the end of the month in which tax is deducted.
Form 131 Due In November
After filing the quarterly statement, deductors have another deadline to meet. Form 131, the certificate for TDS on payments other than salary, must be issued by November 15, 2026. It replaces Form 16A under the earlier law.
The certificate entails the tax deducted from a payment. Recipients use it to check their TDS details and claim the eligible tax credit when filing their income-tax returns.
The deadline falls 15 days after the due date for the quarterly TDS statement. Deductors can generate Form 131 through the TRACES portal of the Income Tax department after the applicable Form 140 or Form 144 statement has been processed.
