What are AY 2026-27 deadlines for year-end tax filing services?

Key takeaways

• Plan early for AY 2026-27, reconcile 26AS and AIS by May, then finalize ITR well before the July deadline.
• Monthly hygiene drives an easy year end, clean GST and TDS routines reduce last minute fixes for GSTR 9 and ITR.
• Tie out GST comprehensively, align GSTR 1, GSTR 3B, and books, then prepare accurate GSTR 9, and GSTR 9C where applicable.
• Use maker checker controls, maintain a single repository for challans and acknowledgments, and track changes diligently.
• AI Accountant blends CA services with a live dashboard, offering reconciliations, filings, and audit pack preparation in one managed workflow.

Table of contents

Introduction to Year End Tax Filing Services

As of January 2026, year end tax filing services matter more than ever. If you run a startup, a small company, or you freelance, the next few months set you up for a smooth July and beyond. In India, year end tax filing services cover your ITR filing deadline planning, GST annual work, TDS returns true up, and the final tie out between your books and what the government sees.

This guide explains what to do, when to do it, and how to avoid last minute stress. It stays practical and simple, it shows where AI Accountant fits in with a CA led team and a live dashboard, without pushing hard.

Important, dates and thresholds can change, government portals sometimes give extensions. Always verify on GSTN, the Income Tax Department site, and CBIC updates before you file.

Useful references, confirm each deadline and rule on official sites before filing: ClearTax due dates, TM Services 2026 calendar, GSTN, Income Tax Department.

What Year End Tax Filing Services Include

Year end tax filing services combine two rhythms of finance work.

• Monthly and quarterly hygiene
  
  This is your regular compliance rhythm, think GST GSTR 3B, GSTR 1, TDS deposit by the seventh of the next month, and TDS quarterly returns. For payroll, you also have routine TDS working. These items keep your ledgers clean and ready.
• Year end consolidation
  
  This is the heavy lift in Q4 and early Q1, it includes annual GST return work like GSTR 9 and GSTR 9C where applicable. It also covers 26AS reconciliation, AIS checks, GSTR 1 versus GSTR 3B versus books tie out, final expense accruals, fixed asset schedules, and income tax return preparation for AY 2026-27. If you are subject to tax audit or transfer pricing, your calendar stretches to October and November.

The point is simple, when monthly hygiene is strong, year end tax filing services become lighter, faster, and safer.

Dates can move with notifications, treat the dates in this guide as planning markers and confirm them on official portals before filing, see this compliance calendar.

Core Components of Year End Tax Filing Services

• 26AS and AIS reconciliation
  
  Match TDS as per Form 26AS and transactions in AIS to your books. If your client or customer deducted TDS but did not deposit it, you must follow up. If AIS shows interest income that is not in your books, you must add or explain it. This is the heart of true up for ITR and helps reduce notices.
• GSTR 1 and GSTR 3B and books tie out
  
  Your sales as per GSTR 1, your tax payment as per GSTR 3B, and your revenue in the ledger should agree. The same is true for input tax credit. Tie out mismatches before you prepare GSTR 9, this avoids interest, late fees, and ITC reversals. Read a practical approach here, GST reconciliation for SMEs.
• Form 12BB support for salaried teams
  
  If you are an employer, collect Form 12BB from employees in time. This captures proof for deductions like HRA, LTA, home loan interest, and investments. This reduces year end TDS leakage and messy refunds later. Guide, Payroll compliance support.
• TDS returns and challan corrections
  
  Quarterly TDS returns must match challans, wrong section codes or PAN errors lead to defaults and penalties. Fix challan and return mismatches before the year close, overview, TDS services.

These items keep your tax story consistent across GST, TDS, and income tax. See return reference, return applicability, and the 2026 calendar.

ITR Filing Deadline and Compliance Calendar

Here are the key ITR filing deadline dates for AY 2026-27 as a planning guide.

• ITR filing deadline for non audit cases, 31 July 2026.
• ITR filing deadline for cases that need audit, 31 October 2026.
• Transfer pricing report deadline, 30 November 2026.
• Belated return deadline, 31 December 2026.

Beyond ITR, keep these recurring items in view.

• TDS deposit due date, by the seventh of the following month.
• TDS quarterly return due date, end of the month after the quarter, for Q1, file by 31 July.
• Monthly GSTR 3B due date for many filers, 20th of the following month, subject to state and scheme rules.

Treat these as guideposts, the government often issues notices and may extend dates. Always verify on the Income Tax site and GSTN before you depend on a date, see due dates and the compliance calendar.

GST Annual Return GSTR 9 and GSTR 9C

• GSTR 9
  
  This is the annual summary of your outward supplies, input supplies, input tax credit, tax paid, and adjustments. It depends on your turnover and current year notifications. Some small taxpayers may get relief in some years, that is why it is vital to check latest CBIC and GSTN updates.
• GSTR 9C
  
  This is a reconciliation statement that compares the figures in the audited financial statements with the annual return. Applicability and thresholds have changed across years, watch for notifications each year. If you fall under audit in the Companies Act or Income Tax Act, plan your GST reconciliation early to avoid rush.

Remember, thresholds and forms can change by notification. Build a checklist, then verify the latest rule on official portals, see the 2026 compliance calendar and GSTN.

Year End Tax Filing Services Documents Checklist

Collect these early, it saves hours later.

• Form 26AS for the full year.
• Annual Information Statement AIS.
• Form 16 for employees and Form 16A for contractors.
• Form 12BB from employees for TDS planning.
• GSTR 1 and GSTR 3B filings and your monthly reconciliation logs.
• Vendor GST registration status for ITC eligibility.
• Bank statements for all accounts and the complete payment gateway ledger.
• Fixed asset register, depreciation schedules, and purchase invoices.
• Accounts receivable and payable aging and confirmations as needed.
• Investment proofs, donation receipts, home loan interest certificates, and rent proofs.
• All challans for TDS and tax payments.
• Books of account ledger dump for the year.

This documents checklist supports ITR, GST, and TDS together, it also supports tax audit preparation if you are subject to it, see return applicability and 2026 calendar.

Deliverables From Year End Tax Filing Services

You should expect clear outputs from your finance partner, ask for these as part of the scope.

• Filed return acknowledgments, ITR acknowledgment, GSTR 9 acknowledgment where applicable, and TDS return acknowledgments.
• 26AS tie out schedule, a mapping that shows TDS entries as per 26AS and how they match your ledger and ITR.
• GSTR 1 and GSTR 3B and books reconciliation log, a formal log with differences and how they were resolved or adjusted.
• Tax computation workings, computation for total income, deductions, MAT or AMT if relevant, advance tax summary, and final tax payable or refund.
• Tax audit preparation pack if applicable, schedules, ledgers, and notes ready for your statutory auditor, even if the service provider does not issue the audit report.

These deliverables prove the job was done and make future scrutiny easier to handle, see due dates and the statutory calendar.

Common Pitfalls in Year End Tax Filing Services

• GST deadline extensions and scheme changes, late night notifications can shift dates or alter formats, teams that do not watch these updates get hit with late fees or wrong forms.
• GSTR 1 and GSTR 3B mismatches, if outward supply in GSTR 1 does not match tax paid in GSTR 3B, your annual return and GSTR 9C will suffer.
• ITC claims without vendor eligibility, if a vendor is not GST active or has tax credit issues, your ITC may be at risk.
• TDS challan errors, wrong section code, wrong assessment year, or wrong PAN leads to defaults and demand letters.
• AIS surprises, AIS may show interest income, securities sales, or foreign remittances that are not in your books, if you miss these, you may get a notice.
• Late true up, if you push reconciliation to the last week, small issues become big, do quick monthly checks so your year end is a review, not a rescue.

Plan for these risks in Q4, not in July, see the 2026 calendar and return help.

Step by Step Workflow for Year End Tax Filing Services

• January to March
  
  Do monthly book closes within ten days, deposit TDS by the seventh of the next month, file GSTR 3B by the due date for your scheme. Start early tie outs between GSTR 1, GSTR 3B, and your books. Collect Form 12BB from employees well before March close. Review advance tax position by mid March and pay the last installment on time.
• April
  
  Freeze your year end ledger, lock revenue and expense postings. Prepare fixed asset and depreciation schedules. Start 26AS and AIS reconciliation. Request vendor ledgers and confirm balances if needed. Run bank and payment gateway full year reconciliations.
• May
  
  Complete the GSTR 1 and GSTR 3B and books reconciliation log. Identify any ITC risk and plan corrections if possible. Finish TDS quarterly returns for Q4. Prepare tax computation draft for ITR. If you have audit or transfer pricing, plan the audit evidence list now to avoid crunch later.
• June
  
  Finalize ITR computation for non audit cases, prepare supporting schedules. Get management approval, line up funds for tax payment. If you need a tax audit, confirm audit timelines and the October filing path.
• July
  
  File ITR for non audit cases by 31 July 2026 unless extended, keep proof of all challans and acknowledgments. For audit cases, close all pending reconciliations so your audit pack is ready.
• August to October
  
  Focus on audit cases, complete tax audit preparation. Close any TDS or GST mismatches that the auditor flags. File ITR for audit cases by 31 October 2026.
• November
  
  For transfer pricing, finalize the report and file by 30 November 2026.
• December
  
  Use this window to file any belated return by 31 December 2026 if you missed earlier dates. Also wrap up GSTR 9 and GSTR 9C as applicable based on the annual calendar and notifications.

Always recheck official sites for any extension announcements, see due date tracker and the 2026 calendar.

ITR Filing Deadline Planning Tips

• Reconcile 26AS and AIS by May, do not wait for July, if something is missing or wrong in AIS, you need time to correct or document it.
• Freeze your chart of accounts, keep a stable account code set so mappings to ITR schedules and GSTR forms are easy.
• Use maker checker for returns, one team member prepares, another reviews, this reduces manual errors.
• Keep a single source of truth, have one folder for all acknowledgments and challans, use a document repository so nothing is lost.
• Track changes in a log, maintain a change log for adjustments after close, this helps in audit and in GSTR 9C.

These actions also make tax notices less likely and faster to resolve, see return help and the statutory calendar.

Accounting Tools and Automation for Year End Tax Filing Services

Good tools reduce risk and time, here are trusted options to support your year end tax filing services. AI Accountant is listed first, then other well known tools.

• AI Accountant, aiaccountant.com, CA led managed accounting and compliance service with a live dashboard for revenue, expense, cash flow, GST status, TDS calendar, and a document repository. It blends service and system so your monthly hygiene and year end work stay in sync.
• QuickBooks Online.
• Xero.
• Zoho Books.
• Tally Prime.
• FreshBooks.
• Sage Accounting.

Look for features like bank feeds, payment gateway reconciliations, GST reports, 26AS tie outs, role based access, and audit trails. If you use multiple systems, set up a simple data pipeline or robotic process automation to keep ledgers and returns in sync.

Learn more, AI Accountant.

How AI Accountant Supports Year End Tax Filing Services

AI Accountant blends a CA led managed service with a central dashboard, that means you get people plus a system.

• Managed CA services, a dedicated CA team handles bookkeeping, monthly GST filings, TDS advisory and compliance, income tax return filing, year end closing, fixed asset register upkeep, inventory reconciliation, MIS reporting, and tax audit preparation support. For small companies, the team also supports ROC filings, the scope covers monthly hygiene and year end consolidation so there are fewer surprises.
• Dashboard and live visibility, you see revenue, expenses, profit and loss, cash flow trends, burn and runway, and recent transactions. You also see compliance dates and filing status, AI powered alerts, and a document repository, the system becomes your single place for challans, acknowledgments, bank statements, and schedules.
• Year end workflows, the team builds your 26AS and AIS reconciliation early, runs the GSTR 1 and GSTR 3B and books tie out, prepares tax computation workings, and organizes your audit pack where required. Maker checker controls and a central communication thread keep all steps verifiable.
• Practical guardrails, the service is non certification for audit, it focuses on clean books, accurate returns, and on time filings. It also reduces the need to juggle email, spreadsheets, and chats across different places.

If you already have a finance person in house, the CA team can work alongside them using the same dashboard and timeline, see AI Accountant.

Data Security and Governance for Tax Season

Data security is part of year end tax filing services, you will handle bank statements, TDS certificates, GST files, and identity data. Put these controls in place.

• Secure storage, use an encrypted repository for bank statements, Form 26AS, AIS, GSTR files, TDS certificates, and challans.
• Access control, grant minimum rights to each user, finance staff should see only what they need.
• Maker checker and approvals, every return should have a preparer and a reviewer, record approvals.
• Audit trail, keep a log of who accessed which document and when, track changes to computations.
• Document retention, keep acknowledgments and support schedules for the statutory period, keep a tidy tag system so you can retrieve documents fast.

When you work with a service provider, ask about their security posture and how they manage your documents and credentials. References, Income Tax Department, GSTN, and AI Accountant.

Pricing and Engagement Models for Year End Tax Filing Services

Prices depend on scope and complexity, here is how most providers frame it.

• Monthly bookkeeping and compliance fee, based on transaction volume, number of bank and gateway accounts, and number of entities.
• Year end consolidation fee, covers reconciliations, schedules, GST annual return prep, and ITR preparation, if audit prep is needed, that adds time.
• Add ons, payroll TDS assistance, international tax advice, expat tax, and event based ROC items for small companies.

Ask for a clear list of deliverables, also ask for the compliance calendar you will follow together, this lets you see what is included and plan around deadlines, see AI Accountant.

How Virtual Accounting Makes Year End Easier

Virtual accounting brings together a CA team and a dashboard. At AI Accountant, this means your monthly routines and your year end tax filing services live in one place.

• One team closes your books, files GST, manages TDS, and preps ITR.
• One system tracks deadlines, shows filing status, and stores your documents.
• You get AI supported alerts for upcoming filings and anomalies in your data.
• You can chat with your CA team inside the dashboard and keep an audit trail.

This is smoother than juggling email, chats, and spreadsheets, it also gives you clarity on what is done, what is planned, and what is pending, more details, AI Accountant.

Final Checklist to Start Today

If you do just five things this week, do these.

• Download 26AS and AIS and compare to your ledger.
• Pull GSTR 1 and GSTR 3B reports and start a tie out log.
• List open TDS challan corrections if any.
• Gather Form 12BB proofs from your team.
• Create a single folder for acknowledgments and challans.

This puts you in control before the season gets busy, see return applicability and the 2026 calendar.

Closing Thoughts on Year End Tax Filing Services

Year end tax filing services are simpler when your monthly hygiene is steady and your calendar is clear. Set your plan now for the ITR filing deadline, GSTR 9, and TDS returns. Keep your reconciliations tight, your documents in one place, and your approvals logged.

If you want a single managed path, AI Accountant brings a CA led service and a live dashboard together, so you can focus on your business and still stay fully compliant.

Compliance dates and thresholds change, please verify all deadlines on GSTN, the Income Tax Department site, and CBIC before you file.

Useful links, GSTN, Income Tax Department, AI Accountant.

FAQs

What is the ITR filing deadline for my entity type in AY 2026-27

For non audit cases, the ITR filing deadline is 31 July 2026. For cases that need audit, it is 31 October 2026. If you have transfer pricing, the deadline for the report is 30 November 2026. You can file a belated return by 31 December 2026 if you miss the original dates. Always verify on the Income Tax portal as dates may be extended.

How should a startup finance head structure the year end calendar to avoid last week crunch

Lock monthly closes within ten days, reconcile GSTR 1, GSTR 3B, and books every month, complete 26AS and AIS by May, and draft ITR computations in June. Use maker checker and a single repository for challans, acknowledgments, and schedules. An AI enabled Virtual Accounting service like AI Accountant can maintain deadlines on a live dashboard and alert you on anomalies.

What is 26AS, why is AIS relevant, and how do I reconcile both to my books

Form 26AS shows TDS and tax payments reported against your PAN. AIS lists a wider set of financial information like interest, dividends, securities, and foreign remittances. Export both, match line items to your ledger by party and date, raise follow ups for missing TDS credits, and document explanations for AIS variances. AI Accountant builds this tie out early and logs adjustments for audit.

Is GSTR 9C applicable for my turnover, and what evidence will my auditor ask for

Applicability depends on turnover thresholds and current year notifications. Your auditor will ask for the books to GSTR 9 reconciliation, revenue and ITC mappings, fixed asset schedules, and bank reconciliations. Keep a change log for post close adjustments. Always check current CBIC guidance and GSTN updates before you plan.

How do GSTR 1 and GSTR 3B mismatches occur, and what is the monthly control to prevent them

Mismatches come from timing differences, missed credit notes, or manual entry errors. Run a monthly tie out report that compares GSTR 1 outward supplies, GSTR 3B tax paid, and ledger revenue. Clear mismatches before quarter end so GSTR 9 preparation stays clean. AI Accountant automates this tie out and keeps a reconciliation log.

What is Form 12BB, and how does it reduce salary TDS leakage for employers

Employees submit Form 12BB with proofs of deductions and exemptions, for HRA, LTA, home loan interest, investments, and donations. This lets payroll compute accurate TDS, reducing over deduction and later refund issues. Collect proofs well before March, then lock payroll TDS for Q4.

Can a managed service issue tax audit certificates, or do I still need a statutory auditor

Managed services prepare the audit pack, but certification is done by your statutory auditor. Confirm scope early, agree on schedules, ledgers, and the timeline to deliver evidence. AI Accountant prepares a ready pack, then works with your auditor’s checklist.

How should founders think about data security for tax season documents

Use encrypted storage for bank statements, Form 26AS, AIS, and GST files. Implement minimum access rights, enforce maker checker approvals, and keep an audit trail of document access. Retain acknowledgments and schedules for the statutory period with clear tags for retrieval. Ask your provider to document their security posture.

What are typical pricing levers for year end tax filing services for SMEs

Monthly fees depend on transaction volume, number of bank and gateway accounts, and number of entities. Year end consolidation pricing covers reconciliations, schedules, GSTR 9 prep, and ITR. Add ons include payroll TDS, international tax, expat tax, and ROC events. Request a deliverables list and a shared compliance calendar to avoid scope drift.

How does an AI enabled Virtual Accounting service like AI Accountant reduce notice risk

By maintaining monthly hygiene, reconciling GSTR 1, GSTR 3B, and books, tying out 26AS and AIS early, and applying maker checker for returns. The dashboard flags anomalies, deadlines, and missing documents. A clean audit trail and a central repository make scrutiny easier and faster to resolve.

What should a CFO do in May and June to ensure on time ITR filing for non audit cases

Finalize 26AS and AIS reconciliation in May, complete GSTR tie outs and Q4 TDS returns, then draft the tax computation and get management approval in June. Arrange funds for tax payment and pre book filing slots. Keep acknowledgments and challans in one folder with clear naming.

Where do I verify statutory deadlines and potential extensions during the season

For ITR and TDS, check the Income Tax Department portal. For GST returns, check GSTN and CBIC updates. Non government summaries like ClearTax and TM Services are useful planning aids, but file only after confirming on official portals.