Form 24Q: Salary TDS Return
Last updated: 13 July 2026. General explainer, not legal or tax advice.
What Form 24Q reports
Form 24Q is the quarterly return through which an employer reports the tax deducted at source on salaries. It lists the deductor, the employees and the tax deducted for each of them. The return for the last quarter of the year also carries an annexure with the full salary breakup for every employee.
How 24Q connects to Form 16 and Form 26AS
Form 16 is generated from the processed 24Q, so the return is the source and the certificate is the output. The same credit shows to the employee in Form 26AS and the annual information statement, which is how they confirm the tax deducted actually reached the government against their PAN.
The quarterly deadlines
24Q is filed after each quarter, with the fourth quarter return carrying the annual detail. Missing a return delays Form 16 and can attract a late filing fee, so the calendar matters. The exact dates should be checked against the current income tax notifications.
What Offrd does and does not do here
Offrd does not file 24Q and does not generate the TDS return. That filing is tax work your accountant or CA handles. Offrd keeps salary and deduction records clean and complete, so the figures behind the return and the resulting Form 16 are accurate.
Corrections and late fees
A 24Q that goes in with a wrong PAN, a mismatched challan or a missing employee can be revised, and a correction return fixes it so the credit reaches the right person and Form 16 comes out clean. It is better to catch these before Form 16 is issued than to reissue certificates later.
Timeliness has a price attached. A late 24Q attracts a daily late filing fee until it is filed, and a return that is wrong or very late can draw a penalty. Filing on the quarterly dates, with correct PANs and matched challans, keeps both out of the picture.
Worked example
Through the year the employer files a 24Q after each quarter for the tax deducted. The fourth quarter return adds the annual salary breakup for each employee. From that processed detail, the employer issues Form 16 to the staff.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What is Form 24Q used for?
It reports the tax deducted at source on salaries to the income tax department, quarter by quarter. Form 16 is generated from the information in these returns.
How is 24Q different from Form 16?
24Q is the return the employer files with the tax department. Form 16 is the certificate the employer then gives the employee, built from that return.
How is 24Q different from 26Q?
24Q covers tax deducted on salaries. 26Q covers tax deducted on most non salary payments, such as contractor or professional fees.
Does Offrd file 24Q?
No. Offrd does not file 24Q. A company's accountant or CA files it. Offrd supplies clean payroll data for the return.
Where does an employee see the credit?
In Form 26AS and the annual information statement, which show the tax deducted against the employee's PAN.
Can Form 24Q be corrected after filing?
Yes, a correction return fixes issues like a wrong PAN, a mismatched challan or a missing employee, which keeps the credit and Form 16 accurate.
Is there a fee for filing 24Q late?
Yes, a daily late filing fee applies until the return is filed, and a return that is wrong or very late can also attract a penalty.
Sources and official references
The rules and figures on this page trace to the official sources below. Statutory amounts and dates change, so confirm the current number on the source before you act on it.
How Offrd helps
Offrd keeps every salary, allowance and deduction figure in one place, so the data behind your 24Q and Form 16 is ready when your CA needs it.