Advance Tax Due Dates 2026-27 and Who Must Pay

If your tax for the year, after TDS, comes to ₹10,000 or more, you have to pay it during the year as advance tax rather than all at once when you file. For tax year 2026-27 the instalments fall on 15 June 2026, 15 September 2026, 15 December 2026 and 15 March 2027. Advance tax now sits in sections 403 to 408 of the Income-tax Act, 2025.

Most salaried people never need to think about it, because TDS on salary covers their tax. It catches the ones with income their employer does not see.

The instalments for 2026-27

People using presumptive taxation for business or professional income pay the whole amount in one instalment by 15 March.

Salaried people who need to pay it

Your employer deducts tax only on the salary it pays you. You owe advance tax if other income pushes your remaining tax to ₹10,000 or more, for example:

• Interest from fixed deposits and savings accounts, where the bank's 10% TDS is less than your slab rate.
• Capital gains from selling shares, mutual funds or property.
• Rent from a property you let out.
• Freelance or consulting income on the side.
• Salary from two employers in the same year, when neither deducted enough.

Resident senior citizens aged 60 or more who have no business or professional income do not have to pay advance tax at all; they pay what is due when they file.

A worked example

Anita earns ₹30 lakh a year, and her employer's TDS covers the tax on that. She also expects ₹3 lakh of FD interest in tax year 2026-27, on which the bank deducts 10% TDS.

Her cumulative payments should reach ₹9,540 by 15 June, ₹28,620 by 15 September, ₹47,700 by 15 December and ₹63,600 by 15 March.

Interest if you pay late or too little

• Section 425 (the old 234C): 1% a month on the shortfall against each instalment, generally for three months, and one month for the March instalment. You are not charged for June and September if you have paid at least 12% and 36% of the year's tax by then.
• Section 424 (the old 234B): 1% a month on the unpaid amount, from April until you pay, if less than 90% of your tax was paid through advance tax and TDS by 31 March.
• Section 423 (the old 234A): 1% a month if you file your return late with tax still owing.

Interest is small in absolute terms, but it is avoidable, and it is calculated automatically when you file.

How to pay

Pay through the e-Pay Tax service on the income tax portal, choosing advance tax for tax year 2026-27, by net banking, UPI or card. Keep the challan details: you enter them in your return, and they appear in your annual tax statement.

To work out how much tax your total income carries, use the income tax calculator. The TDS on salary guide explains the part your employer already handles.

Frequently asked questions

What are the advance tax due dates for 2026-27?

15 June 2026 for 15% of the year's tax, 15 September 2026 for 45%, 15 December 2026 for 75% and 15 March 2027 for the full amount.

Do salaried employees have to pay advance tax?

Only if their tax after TDS is ₹10,000 or more for the year, which usually means they have income beyond salary, such as interest, capital gains, rent or freelance fees.

Who is exempt from advance tax?

Resident senior citizens aged 60 or above with no income from business or profession. Anyone whose tax after TDS is below ₹10,000 also has nothing to pay in advance.

What happens if I miss an advance tax instalment?

You pay interest at 1% a month on the shortfall under section 425, and under section 424 if less than 90% of your tax was paid by 31 March. Paying the missed amount as soon as you can reduces the interest.