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GST Late Fee Calculator · 2026

GST late fee & interest calculator.

Enter the return type, days delayed and tax liability. The calculator works out the late fee and Section 50 interest — as per current rules, always verify the statutory cap on the GST portal before filing.

  • Updated July 2026
  • Built by CA Anil Agarwal
Return type

Interest under Section 50 applies only to GSTR-3B (tax paid in cash). GSTR-1 attracts late fee only, no interest.

Return status

Normal late fee: ₹50/day (₹25 CGST + ₹25 SGST).

Number of days from the due date to the actual filing date.

Net tax paid in cash (after ITC set-off) for the delayed period — interest applies on this amount.

Result

₹934.93

GSTR-3BNormal return 15 days delayed

Late fee rate
₹50/day (₹25 CGST + ₹25 SGST)
Late fee (uncapped)
₹750.00
Interest @ 18% p.a.
₹184.93
Total payable
₹934.93
Note: The late fee shown above is uncapped. The actual statutory maximum depends on your annual aggregate turnover and differs for GSTR-1 vs GSTR-3B (nil filers, turnover up to ₹1.5 crore, ₹1.5–5 crore, and above ₹5 crore each have their own cap) — as per current rules. Please verify the applicable cap and current rates on the GST portal before filing.

Never calculate a late fee again.

TatvaBooks tracks your GST due dates and flags a return before it goes overdue. When it does slip, your books already have the numbers reconciled — filing is a review, not a scramble.

How it works

Late fee and interest are two separate charges.

Late fee — per day, per return

Late fee is charged for every day the return remains unfiled past its due date, regardless of whether tax is payable. For a normal return, the rate is ₹50 per day (₹25 CGST + ₹25 SGST). For a nil return — no outward supplies, no tax payable — the rate drops to ₹20 per day (₹10 CGST + ₹10 SGST). As per current rules, this is subject to a maximum cap that depends on your annual aggregate turnover in the preceding financial year, and the cap has been revised by notification in the past. This calculator shows the uncapped figure and flags that a cap may bring the number down — verify the applicable cap on the GST portal before you rely on the figure.

Interest — only on tax paid in cash

Interest under Section 50 of the CGST Act is charged at 18% per annum on the portion of tax liability that is discharged in cash (after adjusting available input tax credit), computed daily as tax × 18% × days delayed ÷ 365. Interest does not apply to a nil return, since there is no tax liability to delay. It also does not apply to GSTR-1, which is a statement of outward supplies rather than a tax payment — interest is a GSTR-3B concept.

Why the cap matters

Because the per-day rate has no built-in ceiling, a long delay can produce an uncapped figure well above what is actually payable. The Government has, through past notifications, capped total late fee based on turnover slabs (nil filers, up to ₹1.5 crore, ₹1.5–5 crore, and above ₹5 crore), with GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B sometimes carrying different caps. These slabs can change, so this calculator deliberately does not hard-code them — it shows the uncapped number as a starting point and directs you to the GST portal for the applicable cap before you finalize the amount to pay.

Beyond this calculator

This tool estimates late fee and interest for a single return. It does not account for late fee already paid, partial payments, or interest on delayed ITC reversal. For a full compliance calendar and automatic due-date tracking, see our GST guide.

Frequently asked questions

GST late fee calculator — common questions.

How is GST late fee calculated?
Late fee is charged per day of delay from the due date to the actual filing date. For a normal (non-nil) GSTR-3B or GSTR-1, the rate is ₹50 per day (₹25 CGST + ₹25 SGST). For a nil return, the rate is ₹20 per day (₹10 CGST + ₹10 SGST). This calculator multiplies the per-day rate by the number of days delayed — as per current rules, the result is subject to a statutory maximum cap, so always verify the capped figure on the GST portal.
What is the maximum late fee cap?
The cap depends on your annual aggregate turnover in the preceding financial year and differs between GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B. Broadly, nil filers have the lowest cap, taxpayers with turnover up to ₹1.5 crore have a lower cap, ₹1.5–5 crore taxpayers have a middle cap, and taxpayers above ₹5 crore have the highest cap. Because these tiers and amounts have changed over past notifications and can change again, this calculator shows the uncapped figure and asks you to verify the applicable cap on the GST portal before relying on it.
How is GST interest calculated for late payment?
Interest under Section 50 of the CGST Act is charged at 18% per annum on the net tax liability paid in cash (i.e., after adjusting input tax credit), computed on a daily basis: tax × 18% × days delayed ÷ 365. Interest applies only when there is a tax liability to pay in cash — a nil return carries no interest, only late fee.
Does a nil GST return attract interest?
No. Interest under Section 50 is charged only on tax paid in cash. A nil return by definition has no tax liability, so no interest arises — only the lower nil late fee of ₹20 per day (₹10 CGST + ₹10 SGST) applies for the delay in filing.
Is GST late fee different for GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B?
The per-day rate structure (₹50/day normal, ₹20/day nil) is the same for both returns, but the maximum caps that apply have, in past notifications, differed between GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B. GSTR-1 also does not attract interest under Section 50 since it is a statement of outward supplies, not a tax payment — interest applies only in the context of the tax paid through GSTR-3B.

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