January income tax calendar: Key compliance dates to remember
What's the story
January is a crucial month for taxpayers, deductors, and reporting entities in India. The month is packed with deadlines related to Tax Deducted at Source (TDS), Tax Collected at Source (TCS), and quarterly filings for the October-December period. Timely compliance is essential during this period to avoid interest and penalties on late submissions.
Compliance dates
TDS, TCS deposit deadlines in early January
The first major compliance date is January 7, 2026. It is the deadline for depositing tax deducted or collected for December 2025 under certain sections by specified persons. Government offices also have to deposit any amount deducted or collected during this period. The same date applies to entities allowed by the Assessing Officer to deposit TDS quarterly under Sections 192, 194A, 194D or 194H for October-December quarter of last year.
Deadline reminders
Mid-January: TDS certificate issuance and government filings
January 14, 2026, is the deadline for issuing TDS certificates for tax deducted in November 2025 under Sections 194-IA, 194-IB, 194M, and 194S. The compliance obligations continue on January 15, when government offices that have deposited TDS or TCS for December without a challan must furnish Form 24G. This date is also the deadline for filing quarterly TCS statements and authorized dealers to submit Form 15CC reporting foreign remittances made during the quarter.
Final deadlines
End of January: Quarterly statements and challan-cum-filings
As January ends, the due date for issuing quarterly TCS certificates is January 30. This also applies to furnishing challan-cum-statements for tax deducted in December under Sections 194-IA, 194-IB, 194M, and 194S by specified persons. The last set of deadlines is on January 31, which is the due date for filing quarterly TDS statements and banking companies to file their quarterly return of non-deduction of tax at source on interest paid on time deposits.