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Interest & Penalty Calculator — Section 234A/B/C

Calculate interest for late filing (234A at 1%/month), advance tax default (234B at 1%/month), and instalment deferment (234C at 1%/month per quarter). Includes Section 234F late fee (&rupee;5,000 or &rupee;1,000). Updated for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27) with Finance Act 2025 rates.

Total income tax + surcharge + cess for the FY
Total TDS/TCS as shown in Form 26AS/AIS
Total advance tax deposited during the FY
31 July for non-audit; 31 Oct for audit cases
Date on which ITR was actually filed
Determines 234F late fee: \u20B95,000 or \u20B91,000

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How to Use This Calculator

234A Late Filing tab

Enter your total tax liability, TDS paid, advance tax paid, the due date of filing (31 July for non-audit, 31 October for audit), and the actual filing date. Select whether your income is above or below &rupee;5 lakh (determines the 234F late fee). The calculator computes months of delay, 234A interest at 1% per month on unpaid tax, and the 234F late fee.

234B Advance Tax Default tab

Enter your total tax liability, TDS/TCS paid, advance tax paid, and the date of payment or assessment. The calculator checks if your advance tax is below 90% of assessed tax (after TDS). If yes, it computes 234B interest at 1% per month from 1 April of the assessment year to the payment date.

234C Instalment Default tab

Enter your total tax liability, TDS paid, and the advance tax paid in each quarter (Q1 through Q4). Choose whether you are under the presumptive scheme (44AD/44ADA). The calculator computes the shortfall at each due date (15 Jun, 15 Sep, 15 Dec, 15 Mar) and interest at 1% per month × 3 months for Q1-Q3, and 1 month for Q4.

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The Formula

Interest under Sections 234A, 234B, and 234C of the Income Tax Act, 1961:

Section 234A — Late Filing Interest:
Interest = Unpaid Tax × 1% × Number of Months
Unpaid Tax = Total Tax Liability − TDS − Advance Tax
Period: Due date of filing → Actual filing date
Part of a month = full month

Section 234F — Late Filing Fee:
Fee = &rupee;5,000 (or &rupee;1,000 if total income ≤ &rupee;5 lakh)

Section 234B — Advance Tax Default:
Trigger: Advance tax paid < 90% of assessed tax (after TDS)
Interest = Shortfall × 1% × Number of Months
Shortfall = Assessed Tax − Advance Tax Paid
Period: 1 April of AY → Date of assessment / payment

Section 234C — Instalment Default:
Q1 (15 Jun): Shortfall = 15% of tax − paid by Q1 → 1% × 3 months
Q2 (15 Sep): Shortfall = 45% of tax − cumulative paid → 1% × 3 months
Q3 (15 Dec): Shortfall = 75% of tax − cumulative paid → 1% × 3 months
Q4 (15 Mar): Shortfall = 100% of tax − cumulative paid → 1% × 1 month
Presumptive (44AD): 100% by 15 Mar → 1% × 1 month on shortfall

All interest rates are 1% per month (simple), not per annum. The “part of month = full month” rule means even a 1-day delay into the next month counts as a full additional month of interest.

Example

Rahul — Salaried professional who filed ITR late and underpaid advance tax

Rahul has a total tax liability of &rupee;5,00,000 for FY 2025-26. His employer deducted &rupee;3,80,000 as TDS. He paid no advance tax. He filed his ITR on 15 December 2026 instead of the 31 July due date.

Step 1: Section 234A Interest

Total tax liability&rupee;5,00,000
TDS paid&rupee;3,80,000
Advance tax paid&rupee;0
Unpaid tax&rupee;1,20,000
Due date31 July 2026
Actual filing date15 December 2026
Months late5 months
234A interest (1% × 5)&rupee;6,000

Step 2: Section 234F Late Fee

Income above &rupee;5 lakh?Yes
Late fee (234F)&rupee;5,000

Total penalty

234A interest&rupee;6,000
234F late fee&rupee;5,000
Total penalty&rupee;11,000

Rahul’s total penalty of &rupee;11,000 on an unpaid tax of &rupee;1,20,000 shows why timely filing matters. Had he filed by 31 July and paid the remaining &rupee;1,20,000, his penalty would have been &rupee;0.

FAQ

No. Section 234A interest is charged only on the unpaid tax (total liability minus TDS minus advance tax). If TDS and advance tax fully cover your liability, 234A interest is nil. However, the Section 234F late filing fee (&rupee;5,000 or &rupee;1,000) still applies even if there is no outstanding tax. So filing late always has a cost.
Yes. Section 234A (late filing) and Section 234B (advance tax default) are independent penalties. If you both file late AND underpay advance tax, interest under both sections applies simultaneously. For example, if you owe &rupee;2,00,000 in unpaid tax and file 4 months late, you pay 234A interest (1% × 4 months on unpaid tax) plus 234B interest (1% per month from April 1 on the advance tax shortfall). Similarly, 234C applies independently for quarterly shortfalls.
When calculating interest under Section 234A or 234B, any partial month is treated as a complete month. For example, if the due date is 31 July and you file on 2 August, that is 1 full month of interest (even though only 2 days have passed into August). If you file on 15 October, that spans July–October = 3 months. This makes even a small delay across month boundaries costly. Always try to file or pay well before the month ends.
Taxpayers under the presumptive taxation scheme (Section 44AD for businesses or 44ADA for professionals) have a simplified advance tax obligation: they must pay 100% of their advance tax in a single instalment by 15 March. They do not need to follow the quarterly schedule (15 Jun, 15 Sep, 15 Dec). If the full amount is not paid by 15 March, Section 234C interest is charged at 1% for 1 month on the shortfall — not 3 months per quarter as for regular taxpayers.
The Union Budget 2025 (for FY 2025-26) did not change the interest rates or mechanisms under Sections 234A, 234B, or 234C. The 1% per month rate, quarterly due dates, and 90% threshold for 234B remain unchanged. The 234F late fee also remains at &rupee;5,000 (&rupee;1,000 if income ≤ &rupee;5L). However, the revised tax slabs under the new regime may change your total tax liability, which indirectly affects the interest amounts.

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