A TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) return is a quarterly statement filed by the deductor (person deducting tax) to the Indian Income Tax Department, detailing taxes withheld from payments like salaries, interest, or professional fees, including deductor/deductee details (PAN, TAN), payment nature, amount deducted, and challan info, ensuring tax credit for the recipient (deductee) via Form 26AS and timely tax collection for the government.

Applicability of TDS:

• Any person making specified payments mentioned under the Income Tax Act is required to deduct TDS at the time of making such payments.
• Different types of payments are governed by different TDS provisions, and there is threshold limit is fixed for different types of payments. If the total payment made do not exceed the threshold limit during the financial year, no TDS needs to be deducted.
• If the payee declares for 15G or 15H, stating that his taxable income for the financial year would be below the taxable limits, then no TDS needs to be deducted.

TDS Due Dates:

TDS must be deposited to the government on or before the 7th of the following month in which the tax is deducted.

• For example, TDS deducted in June must be deposited by 7th July.
• TDS deducted in March, however, can be deposited up to 31st May.
• In the case of TDS on purchase of property (Section 194-IA), the due date is 30 days from the end of the month in which TDS is deducted.

Missing the due date may attract interest and penalties under the Income Tax Act. The TDS statements have to be furnished on a quarterly basis as follows:

Quarter	Due Date
April to June -Q1	31st July
July to September - Q2	31st Oct
October to December - Q3	31st Jan
January to March- Q4	31st May

TDS Return Filing Fees depends upon the nature and quantum of the return