Compliance Calendar April 2026 – GST, TDS, PF, ESI & Advance Tax Deadlines

April 2026 Compliance Calendar for Startups, Businesses & Founders in India

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Plan your April filings in one place. Figures and forms are mapped for monthly GST filers, TDS deductors, PF and ESI registrants, and businesses navigating the newly enforced Labour Codes. Use this single-page tracker to plan all India statutory filings and deposits for April 2026.

The April 2026 Compliance Calendar provides a comprehensive, date-wise checklist of statutory compliances applicable during the month, helping businesses stay compliant as they step into a new financial year.

At a Glance

• Labour Codes Registration deadline? – 1 April 2026. Single registration under Shram Suvidha 2.0 replaces 100+ state labour licences. First 10,000 registrations are free.
• When to deposit TDS (Government Deductors)? – 7 April 2026 for March 2026 deductions. Non-government deductors get time until 30 April 2026.
• When are GSTR-7 and GSTR-8 due? – 10 April 2026 for March 2026.
• When is GSTR-1 due? – 11 April 2026 for March 2026 (monthly filers with turnover above Rs. 5 crores).
• PF and ESI deadlines? – 15 April 2026 for March 2026 salary contributions.
• When is GSTR-3B due? – 20 to 24 April 2026 in state-wise batches. Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat file on the 20th; other states split between 22nd and 24th.
• Month-end compliance? – TDS payment for non-government deductors and MSME-1 (H1 Oct 2025 to Mar 2026) are both due 30 April 2026.

Who is this Calendar for

• Founders, CFOs, finance and compliance teams managing GST, TDS, PF, ESI
• MSMEs and startups on monthly GST or QRMP
• Employers registered under the new Labour Codes (Wages, Social Security, Industrial Relations, OSH Code)
• Accounting firms handling multi-client calendars across India
• E-commerce operators and government contractors with TCS/TDS obligations
• Private companies, LLPs, and proprietorships with MSME vendor payment obligations

Key Statutory Compliance Due Dates – April 2026

Here is a tabular compliance calendar for April 2026.

Compliance Calendar Table (Date-wise)

Date	Law	Form or Action	For Period	Who must do this	What to do now
1 Apr 2026 (Wed)	Labour Codes	Shram Suvidha 2.0 Registration	New FY enforcement	All employers under the 4 Labour Codes	Link Udyam and PAN before registering. First 10,000 registrations are free.
7 Apr 2026 (Tue)	Income Tax	Deposit TDS	March 2026	Government deductors only	Verify challan details and section mapping immediately after payment. Non-govt deductors have until 30 April.
10 Apr 2026 (Fri)	GST	GSTR-7	March 2026	Government contract TDS deductors (2% or 5%)	Reconcile deductee entries before filing. Penalty applies even on Nil returns.
10 Apr 2026 (Fri)	GST	GSTR-8	March 2026	E-commerce operators (Amazon, Flipkart, etc.)	Match TCS collections (0.5% or 1%) with marketplace payouts before filing.
11 Apr 2026 (Sat)	GST	GSTR-1 (Monthly)	March 2026	Monthly filers with turnover above Rs. 5 crores	Include 6-digit HSN codes and validated B2B GSTINs. Confirm export shipping bills and LUT are in order to avoid ITC blocks.
15 Apr 2026 (Wed)	PF	Contribution + ECR filing	March 2026 salary	EPFO registered employers	Ensure Aadhaar/PAN validation is complete on ECR. Delayed employee PF attracts 12-25% interest penalties.
15 Apr 2026 (Wed)	ESI	Contribution + return	March 2026 salary	ESIC registered employers	Reconcile payroll wages and challans. Applicable on salaries up to Rs. 21,000.
20–24 Apr 2026 (Mon–Fri)	GST	GSTR-3B	March 2026	Monthly GST filers (state-wise batches)	Reconcile ITC before filing. RCM liabilities for transporters and legal services must be settled here.
30 Apr 2026 (Thu)	Income Tax	TDS Deposit	March 2026	All non-government deductors (rent, professional fees, contractors)	Interest of 1.5% per month applies if missed. Confirm challan accuracy before submission.
30 Apr 2026 (Thu)	Companies Act	MSME-1 (H1)	Oct 2025 to Mar 2026	Companies with delayed payments to registered Micro/Small vendors beyond 45 days	No Nil return is needed if all vendor payments were cleared on time.

GSTR-3B Due Date Note (State-wise / Group-wise)

For monthly filers, GSTR-3B is due in batches between 20 and 24 April 2026 for March 2026 transactions. Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat fall on 20 April. Other states are split between 22 April and 24 April. Taxpayers should reconcile input tax credit and clear all reverse charge mechanism liabilities before filing.

Note on Professional Tax

If your state mandates monthly Professional Tax, align payments with payroll processing. Due dates remain state-specific and must be verified locally.

Actionable Planning Checklist

Two weeks before due dates

• Confirm Labour Codes registration is complete and Udyam/PAN linkage is in order
• Lock March outward supplies before filing GSTR-1
• Prepare TDS payment files, section mapping, and approvals
• Reconcile payroll with PF and ESI calculations
• Review MSME vendor payment records from October 2025 to March 2026 to determine MSME-1 applicability

Filing week workflow

• 1st: Complete Shram Suvidha 2.0 registration if not already done
• 7th: Government deductors deposit TDS and verify challan status
• 10th: File GSTR-7 and GSTR-8 after reconciliation. Penalty of Rs. 100 per day plus 18% interest applies even on Nil returns
• 11th: File GSTR-1 with HSN codes and validated GSTINs. Check LUT and shipping bill status for exporters
• 15th: Complete PF and ESI contributions. Validate Aadhaar and PAN on ECR before submitting
• 20th to 24th: File GSTR-3B in your state’s batch window. Clear RCM liabilities for transporters and legal services
• 30th: Non-government deductors deposit March TDS. File MSME-1 if vendor payments were delayed beyond 45 days

New This Month: Labour Codes Enforcement

April 2026 marks the start of enforcement under Shram Suvidha 2.0, which consolidates registration requirements across the four new Labour Codes: the Code on Wages, the Code on Social Security, the Industrial Relations Code, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code.

Key things to confirm before enforcement begins:

• Single registration replaces 100+ state-level labour licences
• Udyam registration and PAN must be linked to the new portal before applying
• The first 10,000 registrations are free
• Existing registered entities should verify their details carry over correctly

Summary of Key Forms and Their Purpose

Form	Law	Applicability	Purpose
Shram Suvidha 2.0	Labour Codes	All covered employers	Single registration replacing multiple state labour licences
GSTR-1	GST	Monthly filers (turnover above Rs. 5 cr)	Statement of outward supplies
GSTR-3B	GST	Registered taxpayers	Monthly tax payment return
GSTR-7	GST	GST TDS deductors	TDS reporting under GST
GSTR-8	GST	E-commerce operators	TCS reporting
TDS Challan	Income Tax	Government deductors (7th), Non-govt deductors (30th)	Monthly tax remittance for March deductions
PF ECR	PF	EPFO registered employers	Monthly PF contribution filing
ESI Return	ESI	ESIC registered employers	Employee insurance contributions
MSME-1	Companies Act	Companies with delayed MSME vendor payments	Half-yearly disclosure of outstanding dues to Micro/Small enterprises

Other Compliance and Corporate Reminders

• File pending board resolutions or ROC items that were deferred from Q4.
• Review and sign off on financial statements for FY 2025-26 before the audit commences.
• Ensure GST reconciliations are aligned with accounting records for the full year.
• Prepare documentation for statutory audits covering FY 2025-26.

Corporate compliance timelines may vary depending on entity structure and event-based triggers. Confirm applicability before filing.

Official Portals to Monitor for Updates

Track any extensions or clarifications on the portals of the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN), Income Tax Department, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), and the Shram Suvidha portal under the Ministry of Labour. We track all updates from these portals and keep you posted.

Conclusion

April 2026 opens not just a new month but a new financial year, making it a high-stakes period for compliance teams. The addition of Labour Codes enforcement alongside the usual GST, TDS, PF, and ESI deadlines means the workload is heavier than a typical month. Early preparation, thorough reconciliations, and careful attention to the new Shram Suvidha 2.0 process will keep businesses clean as FY 2026-27 begins.

For startups and growing businesses, working with experienced compliance professionals ensures accuracy, audit readiness, and uninterrupted operations.

Why Choose Treelife

Treelife has been one of India’s most trusted legal and financial firms for over 10 years. We are proud to be trusted by over 1,000 startups and investors for solving their problems and taking accountability.

Our team ensures:

• Zero missed deadlines
• Clean audit trails
• Investor-ready compliance
• Full statutory coverage across GST, Income Tax, Labour Laws and MCA