MSME Year-End Compliance Checklist: Deadlines Nov 2026 to Mar 2027

The five months from November to March decide whether an Indian MSME closes the financial year calmly or in a panic. This checklist puts every major deadline from November 2026 to March 2027 in one place: GST, TDS, advance tax, ROC filings, Udyam, payroll and the 45-day MSME payment rule, with a month-by-month calendar you can print and pin above your desk.

Updated October 2026. Tax and labour rules change often, and due dates are sometimes extended at the last minute. Use this as a planning list and confirm each date on the official portal or with your chartered accountant before you file.

Who this checklist is for

This is written for small and medium businesses that are registered under GST, deduct TDS, have a few employees on payroll, and are either a proprietorship, partnership, LLP or private limited company. If you are a micro business below the GST threshold with no staff, only parts of it apply to you. If you are a listed company or have international transactions, you will have extra filings this list does not cover.

One quick reminder on classification, because it changed recently. From 1 April 2025, the MSME limits were raised under Notification S.O. 1364(E), as reported by All India Radio News:

Category	Investment in plant, machinery or equipment	Annual turnover
Micro	Up to Rs 2.5 crore	Up to Rs 10 crore
Small	Up to Rs 25 crore	Up to Rs 100 crore
Medium	Up to Rs 125 crore	Up to Rs 500 crore

If your business grew this year, check which category your Udyam certificate now shows. Your category affects scheme eligibility and the protection you get under the MSMED Act.

Month-by-month compliance calendar: November 2026 to March 2027

The table lists the key dates for a regular (monthly) GST filer with employees. Quarterly (QRMP) filers have different GST dates, covered in the next section.

Date	Compliance	Applies to
7 Nov, 7 Dec, 7 Jan, 7 Feb, 7 Mar	Deposit TDS/TCS deducted in the previous month	All deductors
11th of each month	GSTR-1 for the previous month	Monthly GST filers
15th of each month	PF and ESI contributions for the previous month	Employers covered by EPFO/ESIC
20th of each month	GSTR-3B and GST payment for the previous month	Monthly GST filers
21 November 2026	ITR for AY 2026-27, audit cases (extended)	Businesses needing tax audit
29 November 2026 (approx.)	MGT-7 / MGT-7A annual return, if AGM was held on 30 September	Companies
30 November 2026	Last date to claim pending FY 2025-26 ITC (or GSTR-9 filing date, if earlier)	GST-registered businesses
30 November 2026	Statutory bonus for FY 2025-26	Employers covered by the bonus provisions
15 December 2026	Third advance tax instalment (75% cumulative)	Taxpayers with advance tax liability
31 December 2026	GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C for FY 2025-26	GSTR-9: turnover above Rs 2 crore; 9C: above Rs 5 crore
31 January 2027	TDS statements for October to December 2026 quarter	All deductors
15 March 2027	Final advance tax instalment (100%)	Taxpayers with advance tax liability
31 March 2027	Year-end: stock count, MSME supplier dues, investment proofs, LUT for exporters for next year	Everyone

When a due date falls on a Sunday or public holiday, portals usually still accept filings that day. Do not rely on the next working day unless an official notice says so.

GST checklist

Monthly and quarterly returns

• Monthly filers: GSTR-1 by the 11th, GSTR-3B by the 20th.
• QRMP filers (turnover up to Rs 5 crore who opted in): optional IFF by the 13th for the first two months of a quarter, monthly tax payment through PMT-06 by the 25th, quarterly GSTR-1 by the 13th after the quarter, and GSTR-3B by the 22nd or 24th depending on your state.
• Reconcile GSTR-2B with your purchase register every month. Year-end is too late to chase suppliers who did not upload invoices.

Annual return and ITC cut-off

• GSTR-9 for FY 2025-26 is due 31 December 2026. Under Notification 15/2025-Central Tax, businesses with aggregate turnover up to Rs 2 crore are exempt from FY 2024-25 onwards.
• GSTR-9C (self-certified reconciliation statement) applies above Rs 5 crore turnover.
• ITC deadline: any input tax credit for FY 2025-26 you have not yet claimed must be claimed by 30 November 2026 or the date you file GSTR-9, whichever is earlier. Fix missed credits in the October 2026 GSTR-3B (filed by 20 November).
• Rate change: FY 2025-26 had two rate structures because of the GST rate changes from 22 September 2025. Check your HSN-wise summaries carefully.

We have a full table-by-table walkthrough in our GSTR-9 annual return guide. For quick tax-inclusive and exclusive sums while checking invoices, the free GST calculator helps.

E-invoicing

If your aggregate turnover in any year since 2017-18 crossed Rs 5 crore, you must issue e-invoices for B2B supplies. Businesses with AATO of Rs 10 crore and above also face a time limit for reporting invoices on the IRP. Check the latest GSTN advisories on the GST portal before changing your invoicing process.

Income tax and TDS checklist

The new Act changes the forms, not the habit

The Income-tax Act, 2025 replaced the 1961 Act from 1 April 2026. Returns for AY 2026-27 (income earned April 2025 to March 2026) still follow the old Act, but TDS and advance tax for income from 1 April 2026 follow the new Act, which uses the term “tax year”. The practical change for most MSMEs: the old Form 24Q is now Form 138 for salary TDS, and Form 26Q is now Form 140 for TDS on payments to residents. Check that your accounting or TDS software has been updated.

Dates to watch

• TDS deposit: by the 7th of the following month. For March, the deposit date is 30 April.
• Quarterly TDS statements: 31 January 2027 for October to December 2026; 31 May 2027 for January to March 2027.
• TDS certificates: issue them to deductees within the prescribed time after each quarterly statement. Vendors will ask for them when they file returns.
• Advance tax: 15 December 2026 for 75% of the estimated tax for the year, and 15 March 2027 for 100%. Interest applies for shortfalls.
• Audit case ITR: the ITR due date for AY 2026-27 audit cases was extended from 31 October to 21 November 2026 by CBDT Circular 07/2026, which also moved the audit report date to 21 October 2026.

The 45-day MSME payment rule

If you buy from micro or small enterprises registered on Udyam, pay them within the agreed period, and never later than 45 days where there is a written agreement (15 days where there is none). Under the income tax rule introduced as section 43B(h) of the 1961 Act, an expense owed to such a supplier and unpaid beyond that limit is not deductible in that year; it is allowed only in the year you actually pay. Before 31 March 2027, list every MSE supplier with dues older than the limit and clear them. Ask your CA how the provision maps in the new Act for the 2026-27 tax year.

If you are the supplier and a buyer is paying you late, the government’s MSME Samadhaan portal is the formal route.

ROC and MCA checklist (companies and LLPs)

Most private limited companies held their AGM by 30 September 2026. The filings that follow run on a clock from the AGM date.

Form	What it is	Due
ADT-1	Auditor appointment intimation	Within 15 days of the AGM
AOC-4	Financial statements	Within 30 days of the AGM
MGT-7 / MGT-7A	Annual return (7A for small companies and OPCs)	Within 60 days of the AGM
MSME-1	Half-yearly return of dues to MSE suppliers outstanding over 45 days	31 October (April-September) and 30 April (October-March)
LLP Form 11	Annual return of LLP	30 May
LLP Form 8	Statement of account and solvency	30 October

If you missed AOC-4 or LLP Form 8 in October, file as soon as possible: MCA charges additional fees per day of delay, and they add up quickly. Directors’ KYC rules have been under revision, so check the current requirement on the MCA portal before assuming the old annual DIR-3 KYC cycle still applies.

Udyam registration update

Udyam is free and paperless, but it is not “register once and forget”.

• Udyam pulls investment and turnover data from your ITR and GST records. If your data looks wrong, update it on the Udyam portal rather than waiting.
• Update the certificate when you add a new GSTIN, a new plant or unit, change your address, change your bank account, or change the constitution (for example, proprietorship to private limited, which usually needs a fresh registration for the new entity).
• Check your category against the revised limits above. Moving from micro to small can change scheme eligibility.
• Download the latest certificate and keep it with your year-end papers. Banks, buyers and tender portals ask for it.

Payroll and labour checklist

The labour codes are now in force

India’s four labour codes came into force on 21 November 2025, replacing 29 older central laws. Bonus, minimum wages and payment of wages now sit under the Code on Wages, 2019. Many state rules are still being finalised, so watch for your state’s notifications.

Payroll tasks, November to March

• Statutory bonus: pay the FY 2025-26 bonus (minimum 8.33%, maximum 20% for eligible employees) by 30 November 2026. Our Diwali bonus rules explainer covers eligibility and calculation.
• PF and ESI: deposit by the 15th of each month and file the ECR. Late deposit attracts damages and interest.
• Professional tax: deduct and pay as per your state’s schedule (Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Gujarat and others levy it; Delhi does not).
• Investment proofs: in January, collect proofs from employees who chose the old tax regime, so that the final TDS in February and March is correct.
• Leave encashment and full-and-final settlements: clear pending exits before 31 March so they fall in the right year.

Year-end closing checklist for 31 March 2027

Print this and tick it off in the last two weeks of March.

1. Physical stock count, with a signed stock sheet.
2. Bank reconciliation for every account, including UPI and payment-gateway settlements.
3. Debtor and creditor balance confirmations from your top 10 customers and suppliers.
4. List of MSE supplier dues older than 45 days, cleared before 31 March.
5. Fixed asset register updated with additions and disposals.
6. Cash book balanced and cash in hand counted.
7. GST: books reconciled with GSTR-1, GSTR-3B and GSTR-2B for March.
8. TDS: all March deductions booked; deposit by 30 April.
9. Exporters: Letter of Undertaking (LUT) for FY 2027-28 filed on the GST portal before you export under LUT in April.
10. Renewals: trade licence, FSSAI licence, Shop and Establishment registration, fire NOC, insurance policies.
11. Board meeting dates planned for approving accounts (companies).
12. Backups of accounting data taken and stored off-site.

A worked example

Take an illustrative case: a garment manufacturer in Tiruppur with Rs 8 crore turnover, 40 employees and a private limited structure. Its November-to-March list would include GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C by 31 December, e-invoicing for all B2B sales (turnover above Rs 5 crore), Form 138 and Form 140 TDS statements by 31 January, advance tax on 15 December and 15 March, bonus by 30 November, MGT-7 within 60 days of its AGM, and the MSME-1 return for October-March by 30 April. If it buys fabric from Udyam-registered micro units, the 45-day payment list is the single most important item to clear in March.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GSTR-9 mandatory for a small business in FY 2025-26?

Not if your aggregate turnover is up to Rs 2 crore. Notification 15/2025-Central Tax exempts such businesses from filing the annual return from FY 2024-25 onwards. Above Rs 2 crore, it is due by 31 December 2026.

What is the last date to claim missed ITC for FY 2025-26?

30 November 2026, or the date you file GSTR-9 for the year, whichever is earlier. In practice, claim it in the October 2026 GSTR-3B.

Has the ITR due date for audit cases been extended?

Yes. CBDT Circular 07/2026 extended it from 31 October to 21 November 2026 for AY 2026-27, with the tax audit report date moved to 21 October 2026.

Which TDS forms should I use for the October to December 2026 quarter?

Under the Income-tax Act, 2025, use Form 138 for salary TDS and Form 140 for TDS on payments to residents. The statement is due 31 January 2027.

Do I need to renew my Udyam certificate every year?

There is no annual renewal fee or form, but you must keep details current. Update it when your GSTIN, address, units, bank or ownership changes, and check that the category reflects your latest ITR and GST data.

When is the statutory bonus due?

Within eight months of the end of the accounting year, which means 30 November 2026 for a year ending 31 March 2026. It is now governed by the Code on Wages, 2019.

Make compliance a monthly habit

Most year-end stress comes from small monthly misses that pile up: an unreconciled 2B, a late TDS deposit, a supplier who was never paid. Put the dates above into your phone calendar today, block one hour on the 5th of every month for reconciliation, and send your CA the year-end checklist in the first week of March, not the last. The filings will still come, but they will not come as surprises.