🇮🇳 India

GST Late Fee & Interest Penalty Calculator India — FY 2025-26

Calculate late filing fees for GSTR-3B, GSTR-1, and CMP-08 returns with turnover-based caps. Compute interest at 18% on delayed tax payment and 24% on excess ITC. Covers nil vs non-nil returns, CGST/SGST split, composition scheme, and daily penalty breakdown. Updated for FY 2025-26 per CBIC Notification 20/2021.

Nil return = zero sales, zero purchases, zero tax payable
20th of the following month (monthly filers) or 22nd/24th (QRMP quarterly filers)
Date you filed (or plan to file) the GSTR-3B return
Tax payable after adjusting ITC. Interest is charged on this amount.
Late fee cap depends on your AATO. Check your GST registration or last GSTR-9.
Composition dealers file CMP-08 quarterly. Late fee is \u20B950/day, capped at \u20B92,000.

Try another scenario

How to Use This Calculator

GSTR-3B Late Fee tab

Select whether your return is nil (no sales, no tax) or non-nil. Enter the due date and your actual filing date. For non-nil returns, enter the net tax payable in cash (after ITC set-off) to calculate interest at 18% p.a. Use the advanced options to select your turnover slab (this affects the fee cap) and whether you are a composition scheme dealer.

GSTR-1 Late Fee tab

Enter the GSTR-1 due date (11th of the following month for monthly filers) and your filing date. Select nil or non-nil and your turnover slab. The calculator shows the late fee with applicable cap. Note: no interest applies on GSTR-1 late filing, but it blocks your GSTR-3B and your buyers' ITC claims.

Interest Calculator tab

Choose between late tax payment (18% p.a.) and excess ITC wrongly utilised (24% p.a.). Enter the amount, due date, and payment/reversal date. The calculator shows daily interest cost, total interest, and a monthly breakdown for longer delays.

Share your result

Every input is encoded in the URL. Click Share to send your exact scenario to a CA, colleague, or save for later reference.

The Formula

GST late filing attracts two types of penalties: a flat late fee per day of delay (Section 47, CGST Act) and interest on delayed tax payment (Section 50). Both are computed separately.

Late Fee Calculation:
Late Fee = Days Late × Fee Per Day
Fee Per Day = ₹50/day (non-nil) or ₹20/day (nil return)
Actual Fee = min(Late Fee, Maximum Cap for your turnover slab)

CGST/SGST Split:
CGST Late Fee = Actual Fee / 2
SGST Late Fee = Actual Fee / 2

Interest on Late Tax Payment (Section 50(1)):
Interest = Net Tax Liability × 18% × (Days / 365)

Interest on Excess ITC (Section 50(3)):
Interest = Excess ITC × 24% × (Days / 365)

Late Fee Caps (per return, FY 2025-26):
• Nil return: ₹500
• AATO ≤ ₹1.5 Cr: ₹2,000
• AATO ₹1.5 Cr – ₹5 Cr: ₹5,000
• AATO > ₹5 Cr: ₹10,000
• CMP-08 (composition): ₹2,000

The late fee is split equally between CGST and SGST (or CGST and UTGST for Union Territories). For IGST, there is no separate late fee — it is always charged under CGST and SGST/UTGST.

Example

Priya — Small business owner, AATO ₹80 Lakh, delayed GSTR-3B

Priya runs a garment business in Chennai. Her January 2026 GSTR-3B was due on 20 February 2026, but she filed it on 25 March 2026 (33 days late). Her net tax payable in cash was ₹1,50,000.

Step 1: Calculate Days Late

Due date20 Feb 2026
Filing date25 Mar 2026
Days late33 days

Step 2: Calculate Late Fee

Fee per day (non-nil)₹50/day
Uncapped fee (33 × ₹50)₹1,650
Cap (AATO ≤ ₹1.5 Cr)₹2,000
Late fee payable₹1,650 (within cap)
CGST component₹825
SGST component₹825

Step 3: Calculate Interest

Net tax payable (cash)₹1,50,000
Interest rate18% p.a.
Period33 days
Interest (₹1,50,000 × 18% × 33/365)₹2,441

Step 4: Total Penalty

Late fee₹1,650
Interest₹2,441
Total penalty₹4,091

Priya pays ₹4,091 as penalty for the 33-day delay. If she had filed just 7 days late, the late fee would have been only ₹350 and interest ₹518 — total ₹868. Early filing saves significantly.

Complete Late Fee Rate Card — FY 2025-26

GSTR-3B Late Fee & Caps
Return Type Fee/Day Cap (AATO ≤ ₹1.5 Cr) Cap (₹1.5-5 Cr) Cap (> ₹5 Cr)
Nil ₹20 ₹500 (all slabs)
Non-nil ₹50 ₹2,000 ₹5,000 ₹10,000

Due date: 20th of the following month (monthly filers). QRMP quarterly filers: 22nd (Category A states) or 24th (Category B states) of the month following the quarter.

GSTR-1 Late Fee & Caps

GSTR-1 late fee caps are identical to GSTR-3B (Notification 20/2021):

  • Nil return: ₹20/day, capped ₹500
  • Non-nil, AATO ≤ ₹1.5 Cr: ₹50/day, capped ₹2,000
  • Non-nil, AATO ₹1.5–5 Cr: ₹50/day, capped ₹5,000
  • Non-nil, AATO > ₹5 Cr: ₹50/day, capped ₹10,000

Due date: 11th of the following month (monthly filers). QRMP quarterly filers file GSTR-1 by 13th of the month following the quarter.

Impact: Late GSTR-1 blocks GSTR-3B filing. Your buyers cannot see invoices in GSTR-2B and cannot claim ITC.

CMP-08 (Composition Scheme) Late Fee

Composition scheme dealers (turnover up to ₹1.5 Cr, ₹75 Lakh for special category states) file CMP-08 quarterly.

  • Late fee: ₹50/day (₹25 CGST + ₹25 SGST)
  • Maximum cap: ₹2,000 per return
  • Due date: 18th of the month following the quarter

Composition dealers also file GSTR-4 annually (by 30 April). Late GSTR-4 attracts the same ₹50/day fee, capped at ₹2,000.

Interest Rates — Section 50 CGST Act
Scenario Section Rate On which amount
Late payment of tax 50(1) 18% p.a. Net tax liability (after ITC)
Excess ITC wrongly utilised 50(3) 24% p.a. ITC wrongly availed & used

Key clarification: Since 1 September 2020, interest under Section 50(1) applies to net tax liability only (not gross output tax). This was applied retrospectively from 1 July 2017.

GST Return Due Dates (FY 2025-26)
Return Frequency Due Date
GSTR-1 Monthly 11th of next month
GSTR-3B Monthly 20th of next month
GSTR-1 (QRMP) Quarterly 13th of month after quarter
GSTR-3B (QRMP) Quarterly 22nd/24th of month after quarter
CMP-08 Quarterly 18th of month after quarter
GSTR-9 (Annual) Yearly 31 December of next FY

FAQ

For non-nil GSTR-3B returns, the late fee is ₹50 per day of delay (₹25 CGST + ₹25 SGST). The maximum cap depends on your Annual Aggregate Turnover (AATO): ₹2,000 per return if AATO ≤ ₹1.5 Crore, ₹5,000 if AATO is ₹1.5–5 Crore, and ₹10,000 if AATO exceeds ₹5 Crore. For nil returns (zero sales, zero tax), the late fee is ₹20/day capped at ₹500 per return. These reduced caps were introduced via CBIC Notification 20/2021 (Central Tax) and further rationalised based on 47th GST Council recommendations. In addition to late fee, interest at 18% p.a. under Section 50 applies on any net tax paid after the due date.
Two interest rates apply under Section 50 of the CGST Act. Section 50(1): 18% per annum on net tax liability (after ITC adjustment) paid after the due date. This is the most common scenario when you file GSTR-3B late with tax payable. Section 50(3): 24% per annum on Input Tax Credit that was wrongly availed and utilised (e.g., ITC on blocked credits, fake invoices, or ITC not reflected in GSTR-2B). Interest is calculated on a daily basis from the day after the due date to the date of actual payment/reversal. It is mandatory and auto-computed on the GST portal. Since September 2020, interest under Section 50(1) applies to net tax only (not gross output tax), applied retrospectively from 1 July 2017.
GSTR-1 late fee has the same structure as GSTR-3B: ₹50/day for non-nil returns and ₹20/day for nil returns. Caps are identical — ₹2,000 (AATO ≤ ₹1.5 Cr), ₹5,000 (₹1.5–5 Cr), and ₹10,000 (>₹5 Cr). Two important consequences of late GSTR-1: (1) GSTR-3B gets blocked — you cannot file GSTR-3B until GSTR-1 is filed, potentially incurring additional late fee and interest on GSTR-3B too, and (2) your buyers cannot claim ITC on your invoices since they won't appear in their GSTR-2B until you file. This impacts your business relationships and your buyers' cash flow.
Interest under Section 50(1) is calculated on the net tax liability — i.e., the tax payable in cash after setting off eligible Input Tax Credit (ITC). This was clarified via amendment effective 1 September 2020, applied retrospectively from 1 July 2017. For example, if your output tax is ₹5,00,000 and eligible ITC is ₹3,50,000, interest applies only on the ₹1,50,000 net tax paid in cash. Before this clarification, many taxpayers received notices demanding interest on gross tax (₹5,00,000 in this example), which was unfair. If you received such a notice, the retrospective amendment protects you.
Composition scheme dealers file CMP-08 quarterly (instead of monthly GSTR-3B). The late fee is ₹50 per day of delay (₹25 CGST + ₹25 SGST), capped at a maximum of ₹2,000 per return. CMP-08 is due by the 18th of the month following the quarter. The composition scheme turnover limit is ₹1.5 Crore (₹75 Lakh for special category states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and North-Eastern states). Composition dealers also file GSTR-4 annually by 30 April, which has the same late fee structure (₹50/day, capped ₹2,000). Interest at 18% applies on any tax paid late.

Related Calculators

Add This Calculator to Your Website

Embed the sum.money GST Late Fee Calculator on your site. Free, responsive, always up-to-date.

<iframe src="https://sum.money/embed/in/gst-late-fee-calculator" width="100%" height="700"></iframe>