Advance Tax, Interest & Late Fee Calculator
Traders and business owners pay tax in instalments through the year. Enter what you owe and what you paid by each due date to see the interest under Sections 234B and 234C, plus the interest and fee for filing late under Sections 234A and 234F. Runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Enter the amount paid within each window, not a running total.
The usual due date is 31 July for individuals without an audit, and 31 October if your accounts are audited. Governments sometimes extend it, so use the date that applies to you.
| Due date | Needed | Paid so far | Interest |
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Extra interest and fee if you file on the due date or at the end of each later month, up to the last date for a belated return. The 234C interest above stays the same.
| File by | 234A | 234B | Fee | Total |
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A worked example
Say your total tax for the year comes to Rs 4,00,000, and you pay Rs 1,00,000 by each of 15 September, 15 December and nothing by 15 June. By 15 June you have paid Rs 0 against the 12% relaxed threshold of Rs 48,000, so interest runs on the shortfall to the full 15% target: 3% (three months at 1%) of the Rs 60,000 shortfall, Rs 1,800, for that instalment. Doing the same check at each date and then a Section 234B check because you have paid only Rs 3,00,000 by 31 March against 90% of Rs 4,00,000, the 234C interest comes to Rs 8,200 and the 234B interest (four months to a 31 July filing) comes to Rs 4,000, for Rs 12,200 in total. Filing by the due date means no 234A interest and no 234F fee.
Understanding the calculation
- Instalment schedule
- Regular taxpayers owe 15% of the year's tax by 15 June, 45% cumulatively by 15 September, 75% by 15 December and 100% by 15 March. Presumptive taxpayers owe 100% by 15 March only.
- 234C: late instalments
- For each date, if the cumulative amount paid is below the required share, interest is 1% a month on the shortfall: 3 months for June, September and December, and 1 month for March. No interest is charged for June if you paid at least 12%, and for September if you paid at least 36%, even though the shortfall is measured against 15% and 45%.
- 234B: not paying enough overall
- If you paid less than 90% of the final tax by 31 March, interest is 1% per month or part of a month on the final tax less advance tax paid, counted from 1 April to the filing date.
- 234A: filing after the due date
- Interest of 1% per month or part of a month on the tax still unpaid, from the day after the due date until you file. The tax base is the final tax less advance tax and TDS, and this calculator assumes any balance is paid on the filing date.
- 234F: the late filing fee
- A fee of ₹5,000 for filing after the due date, or ₹1,000 if your total income is ₹5 lakh or less. A belated return can normally be filed until 31 December after the year ends.
- What is not included
- The capital-gains, dividend and first-time-income relief from 234C, and interest earned on refunds under Section 244A.
Common questions
Who has to pay advance tax?
Anyone whose estimated tax for the year, after TDS and TCS, is Rs 10,000 or more. That includes traders with F&O or intraday income, freelancers and business owners, and people with large capital gains or other income. Salaried people whose tax is fully covered by TDS usually do not need to, and resident senior citizens with no business income are exempt.
What are the advance tax due dates and percentages?
For most taxpayers, at least 15% of the year's tax is due by 15 June, 45% cumulatively by 15 September, 75% by 15 December and 100% by 15 March. Taxpayers under the presumptive scheme of Section 44AD or 44ADA can pay the whole amount in one instalment by 15 March.
How is interest under Section 234C worked out?
If you pay less than the required share by an instalment date, you owe simple interest of 1% per month on the shortfall: for 3 months for the June, September and December instalments, and for 1 month for March. There is a relaxation for the first two instalments: no interest applies if you have paid at least 12% by 15 June and at least 36% by 15 September, although a lower requirement of 15% and 45% is used to measure the shortfall if you miss those.
How is interest under Section 234B worked out?
If your advance tax paid by 31 March is less than 90% of your final tax, you owe simple interest of 1% per month or part of a month on the difference between the final tax and the advance tax paid. It runs from 1 April after the financial year until you pay or file. This calculator assumes the balance is paid on the filing date you enter.
Is there any interest relief for capital gains?
Yes. If you underpay an instalment because a capital gain, dividend, lottery win or first-time business income arose after that instalment date, the resulting shortfall is ignored for Section 234C as long as you pay the extra tax in the remaining instalments. This calculator does not model that relief, so it can overstate the interest if that applies to you.
How do I avoid these interest charges?
Estimate your full-year tax early, pay at least 15%, 45%, 75% and 100% by the four dates, and top up when your income rises. As a trader, revisit the estimate after profitable months rather than waiting for year end. Tax paid any time before filing reduces the 234B shortfall, but only payments by the due dates avoid 234C.
What happens if I file after the due date?
You pay simple interest of 1% per month or part of a month under Section 234A on any tax still unpaid, counted from the day after the due date until you file, and a late fee under Section 234F of Rs 5,000, or Rs 1,000 if your total income is Rs 5 lakh or less. You can also lose the ability to carry forward some losses, which matters for traders.
Can I still file after the due date?
Usually yes, with a belated return filed by 31 December after the assessment year begins, for which the 234A interest and 234F fee apply. After that date, the route is an updated return, which carries additional tax, so it is far better to file on time.
Which financial year and law does this cover?
It applies the Income-tax Act, 1961 rules for FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26. For FY 2026-27 the Income-tax Act, 2025 applies with renumbered sections, and we understand the advance tax dates, percentages and interest rates were carried over, so treat that year's result as a guide and confirm with a Chartered Accountant.