Compliance Calendar for August 2026 – Income Tax, GST, PF & ESIC
August 2026 is an important month for businesses, employers, professionals and taxpayers, with several Income Tax, GST, PF and ESIC compliances falling due. Timely filing and payment can help avoid interest, late fees and unnecessary compliance issues.
Here is a practical August 2026 Compliance Calendar based on the applicable statutory timelines.
Tax Year / Assessment Year note: Income earned during FY 2025-26 is reported in AY 2026-27. Such returns continue to be governed by the Income-tax Act, 1961. The new Income-tax Act, 2025 applies to income for Tax Year 2026-27 onwards. (Income Tax India)
Important Compliance Dates – August 2026
Due Date
Law / Act
Tax Period
Compliance
7 August 2026
Income Tax
July 2026
TDS / TCS payment for July 2026, wherever applicable
7 August 2026
Income Tax
July 2026
Form 127 – applicable declarations/compliance under the new provisions
10 August 2026
GST
July 2026
GSTR-7 – TDS return under GST
10 August 2026
GST
July 2026
GSTR-8 – TCS return by e-commerce operators
11 August 2026
GST
July 2026
GSTR-1 – monthly return for outward supplies
13 August 2026
GST
July 2026
GSTR-5 – return by Non-Resident Taxable Persons, where applicable
13 August 2026
GST
July 2026
GSTR-6 – return by Input Service Distributors, where applicable
13 August 2026
GST
July 2026
IFF – Invoice Furnishing Facility for eligible QRMP taxpayers
14 August 2026
Income Tax
June 2026
Issue of applicable TDS certificates
15 August 2026
Income Tax
Apr–Jun 2026
TCS certificate / applicable quarterly certificate compliance
15 August 2026
Income Tax
July 2026
Form 1 / applicable TDS-TCS statement for specified government deductions without challan
15 August 2026
Income Tax
Apr–Jun 2026
Issue of TDS certificates other than salary, where applicable
15 August 2026
PF & ESIC
July 2026
PF and ESIC contribution payment
20 August 2026
GST
July 2026
GSTR-3B – monthly return and tax payment
20 August 2026
GST
July 2026
GSTR-5A – applicable OIDAR taxpayer compliance
25 August 2026
GST
July 2026
PMT-06 – monthly tax payment for eligible QRMP taxpayers
30 August 2026
Income Tax
Apr–Jun 2026
Form 141 / applicable quarterly statement, wherever applicable
31 August 2026
Income Tax
FY 2025-26
ITR filing for taxpayers covered by the applicable non-audit due date
31 August 2026
Income Tax
As applicable
Specified Income Tax forms/applications such as Forms 9A, 10, 10-IA, 10H, 10CC, 10CCD, 3CT, 3CFA, 10E, 10BA, 10BBD, 10-EE, 5C, etc., depending upon eligibility
1. Income Tax Compliance – August 2026
TDS and TCS Payments
Tax deducted or collected during July 2026 generally requires timely deposit with the Government within the prescribed due date.
Businesses should reconcile:
TDS deducted from salary and other payments
TCS collected
Challan payments
TAN-wise liability
Ledger balances
TDS/TCS returns and certificates
Any mismatch between the books, challans and TDS/TCS statements should be identified and corrected promptly.
Form 127
Form 127 is a specific compliance under the new Income-tax framework relating to declarations for obtaining specified goods without collection of tax. The Income Tax Department’s current guidance states that Part A of Form 127 is to be furnished by the seller to the prescribed authority by the seventh day of the following month in the specified circumstances. (Income Tax India)
Therefore, this compliance should be considered only where the relevant transaction and statutory conditions are satisfied.
Income Tax Return – AY 2026-27
One of the most important August compliances is the filing of Income Tax Returns for FY 2025-26 / AY 2026-27.
The Income Tax Department confirms that the applicable ITR for income earned during FY 2025-26 is filed for AY 2026-27 under the Income-tax Act, 1961. (Income Tax India)
For example, the Department currently specifies 31 August 2026 as the due date for ITR-4 for AY 2026-27. (Income Tax India)
Before filing the return, taxpayers should reconcile:
AIS and TIS
Form 26AS
Bank interest and other income
Salary / Form 16
Capital gains
Dividend income
Foreign assets/income, wherever applicable
Deductions and exemptions
Advance tax and self-assessment tax
TDS/TCS credit
Previous-year losses and carry-forward claims
Important: The due date and ITR form depend upon the taxpayer’s category and whether tax audit or other statutory audit provisions apply.
2. GST Compliance – August 2026
GST-registered taxpayers should review their July 2026 transactions and complete the applicable monthly or QRMP compliances.
GSTR-1
Monthly taxpayers generally need to furnish GSTR-1 by the 11th of the following month, subject to applicable notifications and category-specific provisions.
Businesses should reconcile:
B2B invoices
B2C supplies
Credit notes and debit notes
Exports
Advances
Amendments
E-invoice data
HSN/SAC details
The introduction of GSTR-1A also provides an opportunity for eligible taxpayers to amend or add certain records before filing GSTR-3B. GSTN states that GSTR-1A is optional and can be used up to the filing of GSTR-3B for the relevant tax period. (GST Tutorials)
GSTR-3B
For monthly filers, GSTR-3B is generally due on the 20th of the succeeding month, subject to applicable notifications and taxpayer category.
Before filing GSTR-3B, taxpayers should reconcile:
Sales → GSTR-1 → Books → E-invoices → GSTR-3B
and
Purchase ITC → Books → GSTR-2B → Eligible ITC in GSTR-3B
Particular attention should be given to:
Blocked ITC under Section 17(5)
Reversal of ITC
Rule 42/43 reversals, where applicable
Reverse charge liability
Interest liability
Previous-period amendments
Credit notes
Electronic cash and credit ledger balances
GSTR-5, GSTR-6, GSTR-7 and GSTR-8
These returns apply to specific categories of taxpayers.
GSTR-5: Non-Resident Taxable Persons
GSTR-6: Input Service Distributors
GSTR-7: Persons deducting TDS under GST
GSTR-8: E-commerce operators liable to collect TCS
For example, GSTN confirms that GSTR-5 is the return applicable to registered Non-Resident Taxable Persons and provides the applicable monthly filing framework. (GST Tutorials)
3. PF & ESIC Compliance
Employers should ensure that July 2026 salary and contribution data is reconciled before making PF and ESIC payments.
The normal PF contribution payment timeline is by the 15th of the following month, subject to the applicable statutory provisions. (EPF India)
Under the ESIC Regulations, contributions are generally required to be paid within 15 days of the last day of the calendar month in which the contributions fall due. (ESIC)
Employers should verify:
Employee master data
UAN details
Gross wages
Eligible PF wages
PF contribution
ESIC contribution
New joinees and exits
Arrears
ECR data
Payroll-to-ledger reconciliation
4. August 2026 Compliance Checklist for Businesses
Before closing the month, businesses should complete the following review:
Reconcile July 2026 sales with books and GST returns
Reconcile GSTR-2B with purchase register
Review ITC eligibility and reversals
Verify e-invoices and e-way bills
Deposit TDS/TCS within the applicable due dates
File applicable GST returns
Complete PF and ESIC payments
Reconcile TDS/TCS ledgers with Form 26AS/AIS, wherever relevant
Prepare and review AY 2026-27 Income Tax Return
Verify advance tax and self-assessment tax
Check applicability of audit/reporting requirements
Identify applicable Income Tax forms due on 31 August
Preserve challans, acknowledgements, reconciliations and supporting documents
5. Why Timely Compliance Matters
Missing a statutory due date can result in:
Interest
Late fees
Additional tax liability
Loss of certain benefits or deductions
GST compliance restrictions in certain circumstances
TDS/TCS consequences
Notices and departmental correspondence
Additional professional and administrative costs
More importantly, filing a return on time without proper reconciliation can also create future problems.
A good compliance process should therefore follow:
Books of Account → Reconciliation → Computation → Review → Payment → Filing → Acknowledgement → Documentation
6. Important Disclaimer
This calendar is intended for general information and compliance planning purposes. Not every compliance listed above applies to every taxpayer.
Due dates can also be modified by Government notifications, CBDT circulars, CBIC/GST notifications, court orders or other competent authorities.
Taxpayers should verify the applicability of each compliance based on their legal status, turnover, registration, nature of business, tax regime and other relevant facts before filing.
For FY 2025-26 / AY 2026-27, taxpayers should also note that the return continues to be governed by the Income-tax Act, 1961, notwithstanding the commencement of the new Income-tax Act framework for Tax Year 2026-27 onwards. (Income Tax India)
Plan Your August Compliance in Advance
August is particularly important because the month combines regular TDS/TCS, GST, PF and ESIC compliances with the AY 2026-27 Income Tax Return filing cycle.
Businesses and professionals should avoid waiting until the due date. Early reconciliation gives sufficient time to identify errors, obtain missing information, correct invoices and resolve tax-credit mismatches.
Need assistance with Income Tax, GST, PF/ESIC or statutory compliance?
CA Mahesh Halani
Chartered Accountant
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
This article is for general educational purposes and should not be treated as a substitute for professional advice on a specific taxpayer’s facts.
