Form 24Q –
Quarterly Salary TDS Return, Due Dates, Annexure I & II and Form 16 Generation
Form 24Q is the quarterly salary TDS return filed by every employer under Section 192. It reports every employee's PAN, salary, and TDS for the quarter — and the Q4 filing carries Annexure II Form 24Q, the annual salary break-up that directly drives Form 16 generation for every employee.
Overview
What Is Form 24Q? The Salary TDS Return Explained
Form 24Q is the prescribed form for quarterly TDS filing on salary under Section 192. The employer estimates annual tax, deducts it monthly, and reports the total through Form 24Q every quarter — ensuring each employee's Form 26AS receives the TDS credit directly from this return. The filing covers all salaried staff, including directors drawing salary as employees; contract workers go in Form 26Q, not here.
Every employer with salaried staff must file Form 24Q — even a startup with just two founders on payroll. The employer needs a valid TAN, must deduct TDS from each salary under Section 192, and must file on time every quarter. New employers need a TAN before the first payroll run — our TAN Registration service covers onboarding so the first Form 24Q can be filed cleanly at quarter-end.
N D Savla & Associates handles complete Form 24Q filings for businesses, startups, and large employers — reconciling TAN records, preparing Annexure I and Annexure II, and tracking every due date. Our service connects with our TDS Return Filing, Form 26Q, TDS & Tax Liability, and Income Tax E-Filing services.
Form 24Q at a Glance
The Fixed Filing Calendar
Form 24Q Due Dates & the Quarterly Filing Calendar
The Income Tax Rules set every Form 24Q due date on a fixed calendar — missing a date triggers Section 234E late fees from day one. Tracking all four quarters matters, but Q4 carries extra weight: it is the only quarter that includes Annexure II with the annual salary break-up, and Form 16 generation depends entirely on Q4 being accurate and timely.
| Quarter | Period Covered | Form 24Q Due Date | What's Filed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | April – June | 31 July | Annexure I only |
| Q2 | July – September | 31 October | Annexure I only |
| Q3 | October – December | 31 January | Annexure I only |
| Q4 | January – March | 31 May | Annexure I + Annexure II |
Section 234E late fees stack daily, and Q4 delays cascade into every employee's Form 16: Section 234E imposes ₹200 per day of delay from the very first day, capped at the total TDS amount for that quarter. Section 271H penalty of ₹10,000 to ₹1,00,000 applies for delays beyond one year. Q4 is the most dangerous quarter to miss — a late Q4 filing delays every employee's Form 16, blocks ITR filings across the organisation, and generates HR complaints from staff waiting to file their returns.
The Two-Annexure Structure
Annexure I and Annexure II Form 24Q
Every Form 24Q has two main parts — Annexure I appears in all four quarters, while Annexure II Form 24Q appears only in Q4. Understanding what each annexure carries is essential: Annexure I feeds Form 26AS for each employee quarter by quarter, while Annexure II is the single source that drives Form 16 Part B for the annual cycle.
Annexure I — Deductee-Wise Quarterly TDS Details
Annexure I lists every employee's TDS for the quarter — PAN, salary paid, TDS deducted, and challan details showing where the employer deposited the TDS. Each row must match the employee's Form 26AS exactly, and a PAN error triggers an invalid-PAN flag causing TDS to be deemed at 20% under Section 206AA.
- Employee PAN & salary paid for the quarter
- TDS deducted per employee
- Challan reference for deposit
- Feeds each employee's Form 26AS
Annexure II Form 24Q — The Annual Salary Break-Up
Filed only with the Q4 return. Annexure II Form 24Q reports each employee's complete annual salary — basic pay, HRA, perquisites, all allowances, every Chapter VI-A deduction, regime choice, and final tax liability. Form 16 Part B is generated directly from this annexure, so Q4 errors flow straight into every employee's Form 16.
- Basic pay, HRA, perquisites & allowances
- Chapter VI-A deductions (80C, 80D, 80G)
- Old vs new regime declaration per employee
- Drives Form 16 Part B generation
After the Filing — Employee Certificates
Form 16 Generation After Form 24Q Filing
Form 16 is the TDS certificate every salaried employee receives — and TRACES generates it only after Form 24Q processing is complete. The certificate comes in two parts: Part A is pulled from all four quarterly returns, and Part B is built directly from Annexure II Form 24Q. Accurate quarterly filing therefore directly drives accurate Form 16 generation — and the June 15 deadline gives no margin.
The Form 16 Workflow — From Form 24Q Filings to Employee Delivery
Part A — Pulled From All Four Quarterly Returns: TRACES auto-generates Form 16 Part A after Q4 processing by aggregating data from Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 Form 24Q filings. Part A carries the quarter-wise TDS summary, challan references, and TRACES verification stamp — giving the employee a consolidated view of every TDS deposit made on their behalf during the year.
Part B — Built From Annexure II Form 24Q: TRACES builds Form 16 Part B directly from the Annexure II data in the Q4 return — annual salary break-up, Chapter VI-A deductions, regime applied, and final tax liability. Part B is therefore only as accurate as the Annexure II behind it; any error in Q4 flows straight into every affected employee's Form 16.
Issue to Employees by 15 June: The employer issues Part A and Part B together as the final Form 16 to every employee by June 15. On-time Q4 filing by 31 May is non-negotiable because a delayed Q4 return delays every employee's Form 16 — and employees need Form 16 to file their ITRs and process any TDS refund claims.
Workflow outcome: Once Form 16 reaches each employee, their TDS credit is visible in Form 26AS and claimable in their ITR. Any mismatch — wrong PAN, wrong regime, wrong salary figures, missing challan — blocks the certificate and holds up ITR filings across the organisation. Our team therefore runs Annexure II verification before the Q4 filing, not after.
Default Clearance
Common Form 24Q Errors and How to Correct Them
TRACES checks every salary TDS return against central records, and mismatches trigger default notices that must be cleared before Form 16 can issue. Error-free filing saves hours of correction work later — but when corrections are needed, a corrected Form 24Q can be filed any number of times using the original token number.
PAN Mismatches & Invalid PAN Entries
The most common Form 24Q defect. A wrong PAN marks the entry as invalid, and invalid PAN means TDS is deemed at 20% under Section 206AA regardless of the employee's actual tax slab. The employee's Form 26AS stays unreconciled until correction, and a corrected Form 24Q must be filed to fix the record. Our team runs PAN verification against the ITD database for every deductee before submission — catching typos at the source.
Short Deduction — Under-Withheld TDS
Short deduction means the employer withheld less TDS than required by the employee's tax slab — often caused by incorrect regime assumption or missed Annexure II salary components. The shortfall attracts Section 234E late fee plus interest under Section 201(1A) at 1% per month. Every case appears on TRACES as an open default and must be cleared before Form 16 generation.
Short Payment — Deducted But Not Fully Deposited
Short payment means the employer deducted TDS from the employee but did not deposit the full amount with the government. Treated more seriously than short deduction — interest runs at 1.5% per month under Section 201(1A) from the deduction date until actual deposit. The employer must deposit the balance with interest, then file a corrected Form 24Q reflecting the complete challan.
Filing a Corrected Form 24Q
A corrected Form 24Q can be filed at any time — each correction replaces the earlier return entirely and uses the original token number. Corrections can cover challan updates, PAN fixes, salary revisions, regime changes, or Annexure II amendments. Multiple corrections are permitted. Our team files every corrected Form 24Q with Income Tax Notice response support when defaults escalate.
Our Services
Our Form 24Q Filing Services at N D Savla & Associates
End-to-end Form 24Q services — quarterly salary TDS return filing, Annexure I and Annexure II Form 24Q preparation, Form 16 generation, Section 234E late fee computation, corrected filings, and notice response for businesses, startups, and large employers across India.
Quarterly Form 24Q Filing & Annexure I Preparation
Q4 Annexure II, Regime Verification & Form 16 Generation
Section 234E / 271H Advisory & TRACES Default Clearance
Corrected Form 24Q Filing & Notice Response
Complete Form 24Q Filing Services — Salary TDS Return, Annexure II, Form 16 Generation & Corrections.
Quarterly Form 24Q filing, Annexure I and Annexure II preparation, Form 16 Part A and Part B generation, Section 234E late fee advisory, Section 271H penalty resolution, regime verification, and corrected Form 24Q filing — for businesses, startups, and large employers across India.
+91 98190 00511 | +91 91670 58000 | +91 98190 00445 | nainitsavla@savlagroup.in
Contact UsF.A.Q.
Form 24Q is the quarterly salary TDS return. Every employer with a valid TAN files it. Additionally, the return covers TDS deducted under Section 192 on salaries. Furthermore, it is filed every quarter on TRACES. Therefore, even a small employer with one salaried staff member must comply. Our team handles every salary TDS return end-to-end.
Every Form 24Q due date follows a fixed schedule. First, Q1 is due by July 31. Second, Q2 is due by October 31. Third, Q3 is due by January 31. Finally, Q4 is due by May 31. Additionally, Q4 is the most complex because it carries Annexure II Form 24Q.
Annexure I appears in every quarter. Specifically, it shows each employee’s TDS and PAN for that quarter. However, Annexure II Form 24Q is filed only with the Q4 return. Moreover, Annexure II Form 24Q carries the annual salary break-up. Furthermore, it drives Form 16 Part B generation for every employee.
Section 234E late fee is ₹200 per day of delay. Moreover, the total is capped at the TDS amount for that quarter. Additionally, Section 271H penalty may apply for extended delays. Furthermore, the penalty ranges from ₹10,000 to ₹1 lakh. Therefore, on-time quarterly TDS filing is always the cheapest option.
Form 16 generation happens on TRACES after Form 24Q processing. Specifically, Part A is pulled from all four quarterly returns. Additionally, Part B is built from Annexure II Form 24Q data. Moreover, Form 16 must reach every employee by June 15. Therefore, our TDS Return Filing team manages the full process.
A wrong PAN causes an invalid PAN flag. Consequently, TDS is deemed at 20% under Section 206AA. Furthermore, the employee’s Form 26AS stays unreconciled. Additionally, a corrected Form 24Q must be filed to fix the record. Therefore, PAN verification before filing is critical for every employer.
Yes. A corrected Form 24Q can be filed any number of times. Specifically, it uses the original token number. Furthermore, each correction replaces the earlier filing completely. Additionally, our team handles all corrections alongside Income Tax Notice responses.
