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Payroll compliance calendar

Every date an Indian employer has to hit for PF, ESI, TDS, professional tax, LWF, bonus and returns, grouped by how often it comes round. Reviewed September 2026. Add it to your calendar once and stop remembering.

Figures reviewed September 2026. Statutory rates change; confirm with the notification before filing.

Add every date to your calendar

A standard .ics file for FY 2026-27 with a reminder three days before each deadline. Works with Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar.

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Monthly

What	Due	To	Notes
TDS on salaries deposited	7th of the following month (30 April for March)	Income Tax Department	Tax deducted from salaries in a month is paid by challan ITNS 281. Late payment attracts interest at 1.5% a month.
PF ECR filed and contribution paid	15th of the following month	EPFO	The Electronic Challan cum Return lists every member, their wages and both contributions. Payment and return happen together on the unified portal.
ESI contribution paid	15th of the following month	ESIC	Employee and employer shares for the month, paid on the ESIC portal. Late payment carries 12% simple interest a year.

Quarterly

What	Due	To	Notes
Form 24Q, quarterly TDS return	31 July, 31 October, 31 January, 31 May	Income Tax Department	Salary TDS return for each quarter; the fourth-quarter return carries the annual salary detail that Form 16 is built from. Late filing costs ₹200 a day under 234E.

Half-yearly

What	Due	To	Notes
ESI half-yearly return	11 November (April to September) and 11 May (October to March)	ESIC	Contribution periods end 30 September and 31 March; the return follows within 42 days.

Annual

What	Due	To	Notes
Form 16 issued to employees	15 June	Employer to employee	Part A from TRACES, Part B from your payroll. Employees need it to file returns by 31 July.
Statutory bonus paid	Within 8 months of the financial year end (30 November)	Employer to employee	Minimum 8.33% of wages for employees earning up to ₹21,000 a month, computed on ₹7,000 or the minimum wage, whichever is higher.
Form D, annual bonus return	1 February	Labour inspector	The return under the Payment of Bonus Act for the previous accounting year.
Investment declarations and proofs	Declarations in April; proofs by January	Internal	Form 12BB collected at the start of the year, proofs verified before the last quarter so March TDS is not a shock.

State-specific

What	Due	To	Notes
Professional tax deposited	Varies: 10th to the last day of the following month	State commercial tax department	Maharashtra by the last day of the month, Karnataka by the 20th, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by the 10th, West Bengal by the 21st. Tamil Nadu and Kerala are half-yearly.
Labour Welfare Fund contribution	Mostly 15 July and 15 January	State labour welfare board	Deducted in June and December in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal; annual in Karnataka (15 January) and Tamil Nadu (31 January). Amounts are small; missing them is not.
Shops and Establishments annual return	State-specific, commonly 31 January or 15 February	State labour department	Annual return of employees, holidays and hours under the state act. Several states have moved it online.

Dates are the statutory due dates as of September 2026. State professional tax and LWF dates vary; see the state-wise table.

Reading the calendar

The monthly rhythm

TDS on the 7th, then PF and ESI on the 15th, then professional tax on the state date. Three dates, every month, and all three carry interest and penalties.

Quarterly 24Q

The TDS return for salaries is due a month after each quarter ends, except Q4 which gets until 31 May and carries the full-year detail for Form 16.

The half-year for ESI

Contribution periods end 30 September and 31 March. Returns follow within 42 days, and eligibility is re-tested for the next period.

The state layer

Professional tax, LWF and the Shops and Establishments return follow each state's own dates. Multi-state employers keep one calendar per state.

Days, not dates

When a due date falls on a holiday the deadline does not move for PF and ESI. Pay the working day before.

Subscribe, do not copy

The calendar file below adds every date to Google Calendar or Outlook with a reminder three days ahead. Subscribing keeps it current when a date changes.

Questions people ask

What is the due date for PF payment every month?

The 15th of the following month, filed and paid together through the ECR on the EPFO unified portal. There is no grace period; late payment attracts damages up to 25% and 12% interest.

When is TDS on salary due?

By the 7th of the following month, except tax deducted in March, which is due by 30 April. The quarterly return in Form 24Q is due on 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May.