Free tool
GST Late Fee & Interest Calculator
Filed late, or about to? Work out what the delay actually costs — the daily late fee and the 18% annual interest on tax paid in cash, calculated separately.
Sets the maximum late fee
Net of input tax credit set off
Result
- Days late
- 0
- Late fee
- ₹0
- Interest @ 18% p.a.
- ₹0
- Total cost of delay
- ₹0
An estimate, not a demand. Uses the late fees and caps for GSTR-3B and GSTR-1. Amnesty schemes are notified from time to time, and the portal computes the final figure. Use this to size the problem, then confirm on the GST portal.
What a late GST return actually costs
There are two separate charges, and they behave differently. The late fee is a fixed daily amount that accrues whether or not you owe tax — which is why dormant registrations still rack up a bill. Interest is 18% per annum on the tax you settle in cash, so it scales with the size of the liability rather than the length of the delay alone.
Why the fee keeps running
The late fee accrues per day until the return is actually filed — not until the tax is paid. Businesses sometimes pay the tax to stop the interest and leave the return unfiled, which stops nothing. File the return, even if the numbers need revisiting afterwards.
The knock-on effect on your customers
A late GSTR-1 delays the input tax credit appearing in your customer’s GSTR-2B. They notice, because their own reconciliation breaks — and it quietly damages a commercial relationship in a way the fee never shows.
Missed due dates are almost always a process problem, not an intent problem. Our GST and TDS compliance service tracks the calendar so the question doesn’t come up.
GST late fee — common questions
What is the late fee for filing GSTR-3B late?
For a return with tax payable, the late fee is ₹50 per day of delay (₹25 CGST + ₹25 SGST). For a nil return it is ₹20 per day (₹10 + ₹10). The total is capped, with the cap depending on your turnover in the previous financial year.
What is the maximum late fee for GSTR-3B and GSTR-1?
The late fee stops growing once it reaches a cap: ₹500 for a nil return; ₹2,000 if your aggregate turnover in the previous financial year was up to ₹1.5 crore; ₹5,000 for turnover above ₹1.5 crore and up to ₹5 crore; and ₹10,000 above ₹5 crore. Each cap is split equally between CGST and SGST. Interest on late payment of tax has no cap and keeps running until the tax is paid.
How much interest is charged on late GST payment?
Interest runs at 18% per annum on the net tax paid in cash, calculated from the day after the due date until the date of payment. Where excess input tax credit has been claimed and utilised, a higher 24% rate can apply.
Is late fee charged on a nil return?
Yes. A nil GSTR-3B or GSTR-1 still attracts ₹20 per day of delay. It’s a common and entirely avoidable cost for dormant registrations — the return has to be filed even when there is nothing to report.
Is interest charged on the gross tax or the cash portion?
Interest is charged on the net tax liability discharged in cash, not on the portion set off against available input tax credit. This calculator asks for the tax paid in cash for that reason.
Can a GST late fee be waived?
Only where the government notifies an amnesty or waiver scheme, which has happened periodically for specific periods and return types. There’s no general discretionary waiver on request, so the practical control is filing on time.
Serving businesses across India
Stop paying for missed due dates.
We track every GST and TDS deadline across your entities and file ahead of them — with the reconciliation done first, not afterwards.
Delivered within 24 working hours, or next month is on us. 24 working hours from the moment we have your complete data. The clock runs Monday to Saturday and pauses on Sundays and public holidays. Terms