The compliance calendar for Indian service firms: GST, TDS, PF and ESI
The dates do not care that you are busy. Here is the plain-English calendar of the returns and deposits a small Indian service firm has to hit — monthly, quarterly, and once a year.
Running a service firm comes with a second, quieter to-do list that never appears in any client brief: the statutory calendar. Miss a date and the cost is not just a penalty — it is interest, a notice, and an afternoon you will never get back. The good news is that for a small firm the list is short and it repeats.
The monthly beats
- TDS deposit — 7th of the next month. Tax deducted on salaries and vendor payments is deposited by the 7th of the following month. The one exception: tax deducted in March is deposited by 30 April.
- EPF — 15th. The ECR is filed and the challan paid by the 15th, with no grace period.
- ESI — 15th. The ESI contribution is also due by the 15th.
- GSTR-3B — 20th for monthly filers; QRMP filers pay via PMT-06 by the 25th instead.
- GSTR-1 — 11th for monthly filers.
The quarterly beats
- TDS returns — Form 24Q (salary) and 26Q (other), due 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May.
- GST under QRMP (turnover up to Rs 5 crore): GSTR-1 by the 13th and GSTR-3B by the 22nd or 24th after the quarter, with tax paid monthly via PMT-06 on the 25th.
The once-a-year dates
- Form 16 — 15 June, to every salaried employee.
- GSTR-9 (annual return) — 31 December; optional up to Rs 2 crore turnover, with GSTR-9C above Rs 5 crore.
Two thresholds people confuse
The number that decides monthly-versus-QRMP for GST is Rs 5 crore of turnover. The number that decides whether the GSTR-9 annual return is optional is Rs 2 crore. Different figures for different things.
Where a tool helps, and where it does not
A calendar only works if the numbers are clean. HireMaze keeps attendance and leave straight and hands your CA a tidy month-end export — it does not file returns or run payroll. The point of the calendar is simply that nothing on it should ever surprise you. See how firms in your industry use it.
The small-firm month, at a glance
- 7th — deposit last month’s TDS
- 11th — GSTR-1 (monthly filers)
- 15th — EPF challan and ESI contribution
- 20th — GSTR-3B (monthly filers); QRMP tax via PMT-06 by the 25th
- Quarterly TDS returns; yearly Form 16 by 15 Jun and GSTR-9 by 31 Dec
General awareness only, accurate to the best of our research as of August 2026 — not tax or legal advice. Due dates can be extended by CBIC/CBDT notification, several depend on your state and turnover, and the new Labour Codes and Income-tax Act, 2025 are rolling out through 2026. Always confirm on the official portal or with your CA.
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