GST Return Filing in 2026: GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, IMS and QRMP
Two changes have made GST filing far less forgiving than it used to be. GSTR-3B no longer lets you edit your outward supply figures, and the Invoice Management System treats silence as acceptance. Returns also become impossible to file after three years. Here's how the monthly cycle now works.
Why it matters
The Cost of a Late Return Is No Longer Just the Late Fee
Filing GST returns used to be a clean-up exercise you could do at leisure. The portal now enforces sequence, timing and finality in ways it didn't before.
Returns expire
A return not filed within three years of its due date can no longer be filed at all. That bar is now enforced on the portal.
Your credit depends on suppliers
Input tax credit is available only where the invoice reaches your GSTR-2B. A supplier who files late pushes your credit into the next month.
Returns must be filed in order
You can't skip a month. A pending return blocks the ones after it, so one missed period stops the whole chain.
Non-filing leads to suspension
Continuous default can result in your registration being suspended and then cancelled, which stops you from issuing valid tax invoices.
Your monthly and quarterly dates
| Return | Who files it | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| GSTR-1 | Monthly filers | 11th of the following month |
| GSTR-3B | Monthly filers | 20th of the following month |
| IFF, optional | QRMP filers, first two months of the quarter | 13th of the following month |
| PMT-06 challan | QRMP filers, first two months of the quarter | 25th of the following month |
| GSTR-1, quarterly | QRMP filers | 13th of the month after the quarter |
| GSTR-3B, quarterly | QRMP filers in Gujarat | 22nd of the month after the quarter |
| CMP-08 | Composition dealers | 18th of the month after the quarter |
| GSTR-4 | Composition dealers, annual | 30 June |
| GSTR-7 and GSTR-8 | TDS and TCS deductors | 10th of the following month |
| GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C | Annual return, above turnover limits | 31 December following the financial year |
Gujarat falls in the state group with the 22nd as the quarterly GSTR-3B date. States in the other group file by the 24th.
GSTR-3B is now locked to your GSTR-1
From the July 2025 tax period, the outward supply tables of GSTR-3B, Table 3.1 and Table 3.2, are auto-filled from your GSTR-1 and cannot be edited. Whatever you report in GSTR-1 is what you pay tax on.
If you spot an error after filing GSTR-1 but before filing GSTR-3B, correct it in GSTR-1A, an amendment facility available for that window. Once GSTR-3B is filed, the correction has to wait for a later month's GSTR-1 amendment, and the tax difference carries interest.
GSTR-1 is no longer a statement you file quickly and fix later. Review your sales register, credit notes and export invoices before filing GSTR-1, not before filing GSTR-3B. The order of work has reversed.
The input tax credit table, Table 4, has been following the same direction, with locking against GSTR-2B expected during 2026. Treat your ITC figures as though they're already locked, because reconciling monthly is the only way to be ready when they are.
The Invoice Management System: silence means yes
The Invoice Management System (IMS) shows you every invoice, credit note and amendment your suppliers have reported against your GSTIN. For each one you can take one of three actions:
Accept
The invoice flows into your GSTR-2B and the credit becomes available for that period.
Reject
The invoice is kept out of your GSTR-2B. Use this where the invoice isn't yours or the GSTIN is wrong, and tell the supplier so they can amend it.
Keep pending
The invoice waits for a later period. Useful where goods haven't arrived yet or the invoice is under dispute.
Invoices left untouched are treated as accepted when GSTR-2B is generated, normally on the 14th of the month. If a supplier has reported an invoice you never received, or one with the wrong value, inaction pulls that credit into your return and leaves you to reverse it later with interest.
The practical answer is to review IMS between the 12th and the 14th, once suppliers have filed their GSTR-1 and before GSTR-2B is generated. Keep a note of everything you reject or keep pending, because that list is what explains the difference between your books and your GSTR-2B at the year end.
Should you be on QRMP?
The Quarterly Return Monthly Payment scheme is open to taxpayers with aggregate turnover up to ₹5 crore. You file GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B quarterly, but pay tax every month.
| QRMP | Monthly filing | |
|---|---|---|
| Returns each year | 8 (4 GSTR-1 and 4 GSTR-3B) | 24 |
| Tax payments | Monthly, through PMT-06 | Monthly, with the return |
| When your customers get credit | End of the quarter, unless you use the IFF | The following month |
| Best suited to | Retailers and service providers selling mainly to consumers | Businesses selling to registered buyers who need prompt credit |
The catch is the one that matters most to B2B suppliers: your customers may not see the invoice in their GSTR-2B until the quarter ends. The Invoice Furnishing Facility lets you upload B2B invoices in the first two months of the quarter to solve this, but it's optional and easy to forget. If most of your customers are registered businesses, monthly filing usually causes fewer arguments.
Under the fixed sum method, your monthly PMT-06 payment is 35% of the tax paid in cash in the previous quarter, which keeps the calculation simple. The self-assessment method, where you work out the actual liability each month, is better if your turnover moves around a lot.
A filing routine that works
By the 5th: close the previous month
Finalise sales, purchases, credit notes and debit notes. Check that e-invoices were generated where required and that e-way bills match your invoices.
By the 10th: file GSTR-1
Review before you file, because Table 3.1 of GSTR-3B will be built from it. Check export invoices, supplies to SEZ units and B2B GSTINs carefully.
12th to 14th: review IMS
Accept, reject or keep pending. Anything you leave untouched is accepted automatically.
15th to 17th: reconcile credit
Compare GSTR-2B with your purchase register. Chase suppliers who haven't filed, and note reversals needed under Rule 37 for invoices unpaid beyond 180 days.
By the 20th: file GSTR-3B and pay
Confirm the reverse charge liability on goods transport, legal fees and imports, and check that blocked credit under Section 17(5) has been kept out.
Late fees, interest and the three-year bar
| Situation | Cost |
|---|---|
| GSTR-1 or GSTR-3B filed late, with tax payable | ₹50 a day (₹25 CGST + ₹25 SGST), subject to a cap linked to turnover |
| Nil return filed late | ₹20 a day (₹10 CGST + ₹10 SGST) |
| Tax paid late | Interest at 18% a year, calculated from the due date until payment |
| Input tax credit wrongly claimed and used | Interest at 24% a year |
| Return more than three years past its due date | Cannot be filed at all, and the credit for that period is lost permanently |
Two other rules catch businesses out. Input tax credit for a financial year can only be claimed up to 30 November of the following year, and e-invoices must be reported to the portal within 30 days of the invoice date where your aggregate turnover is ₹10 crore or more. Miss that window and the invoice can't be reported at all, which means your customer gets no credit.
This guide is general information on Indian tax and corporate law as it stood on 11 September 2026, and is not advice for any particular case. Rules, due dates and forms change, and how they apply depends on your facts. Please confirm the current position before acting, or speak to a qualified professional.
Who this applies to
Filing Patterns Across Vadodara Businesses
The right routine depends on who your customers are and how many invoices you handle.
Manufacturers
Units in Makarpura, Por and Nandesari handle e-way bills, job work and inter-state purchases, so monthly filing with tight GSTR-2B reconciliation usually works best.
Retailers and restaurants
Selling mainly to consumers means QRMP cuts the paperwork considerably, without upsetting anyone's credit.
Exporters
Zero-rated supplies need a valid LUT for the year, shipping bill details in GSTR-1, and refund claims that match the returns.
Service providers and consultants
Watch reverse charge on legal fees and goods transport, and Rule 42 reversals if any part of your income is exempt.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to Your GST Filing Questions
What are the GST return due dates for monthly filers?
GSTR-1 by the 11th of the following month and GSTR-3B by the 20th. Under QRMP, GSTR-1 is due by the 13th of the month after the quarter and GSTR-3B by the 22nd for Gujarat, with monthly tax paid through PMT-06 by the 25th.
Can I still edit Table 3.1 in GSTR-3B?
No. Since the July 2025 tax period, Tables 3.1 and 3.2 are auto-filled from GSTR-1 and locked. Corrections before filing GSTR-3B are made through GSTR-1A, and after that through an amendment in a later GSTR-1.
What happens if I don't take any action in IMS?
Invoices left untouched are treated as accepted when GSTR-2B is generated, usually on the 14th. Any invoice that shouldn't be there flows into your credit, and reversing it later attracts interest. Review IMS between the 12th and the 14th each month.
Is QRMP better than monthly filing?
It depends on your customers. QRMP cuts filings from 24 to 8 a year and suits businesses selling mainly to consumers. If you sell to registered buyers, they may not see your invoice in their GSTR-2B until the quarter ends unless you use the Invoice Furnishing Facility each month.
What is the late fee for filing GSTR-3B late?
₹50 a day where tax is payable and ₹20 a day for a nil return, subject to a cap linked to your turnover, plus interest at 18% a year on tax paid late. Credit wrongly claimed and used attracts 24%.
I have returns pending from three years ago. Can I still file them?
A return more than three years past its due date can no longer be filed, and that restriction is now enforced on the portal. Check the oldest pending period on your dashboard immediately, because anything approaching the limit needs filing before the window closes for good.
Returns Piling Up? Let's Get You Current.
Share your GST login and we'll check which periods are pending, how close any of them are to the three-year bar, and whether QRMP or monthly filing suits your business better.
C M Patel & Company, Chartered Accountants
204, Pavan Complex, Jetalpur Road, Jetalpur, Vadodara, Gujarat 390007
Phone +91 99740 37318 · Email info.cmpatelandcompany@gmail.com
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