Yes, a conditional late fee waiver for GSTR-9C has been announced. As per Notification No. 08/2025-Central Tax dated January 23, 2025, late fees for delayed filing of GSTR-9C for financial years 2017-18 up to 2022-23 are waived if the form is filed on or before March 31, 2025.
Scope of the Scheme: The waiver scheme applies to only those taxpayers who have failed to file GSTR-9 earlier. To avail benefits of this scheme, taxpayers have to file the return before March 31, 2025. Already Paid Late Fees: No refunds will be issued if the taxpayer has already filed the return with late payment fees.
GST Notification 8/2025-Central Tax dt. 23-January-2025
Notification No. 08/2025 waives the late fee under section 47 of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act for the annual return (FORM GSTR-9) for the financial years 2017-18 to 2022-23.
The penalty for late filing of GSTR-9C includes a late fee of Rs. 200 per day (Rs. 100 each for CGST and SGST) up to a maximum of 0.5% of the taxpayer's turnover in the relevant state or union territory. Additionally, failure to file may attract further penalties and interest as per GST regulations.
Hence, the GSTR-9C must be filed on or before 31st December of the year subsequent to the relevant FY under audit. The due date can be extended by the Government if deemed necessary.
The GSTR-9 due date for FY 2024-25 is 31st December 2025, and delay attracts a late fee of ₹200 per day (₹100 CGST + ₹100 SGST), capped at 0.25% of turnover.
Here is the GST late fee you pay for not filing or filing late the GSTR returns: Total late fee of ₹100 per day, which is equally distributed between CGST (₹50) and SGST (₹50). The GST late fee is limited to ₹5,000 per type of return, but can quickly accumulate in case of several returns being late.
Late filing of Income tax return will attract penalty u/s 234F up to Rs. 5,000, late filing interest at the rate of 1% per month (Section 234A) on the tax payable, delay in refund, not providing interest on refund @ 0.5% per month, inability to carry forward the losses.
You face a penalty when you file your GST/HST return late if you owe money. The penalty equals 1% of your unpaid amount plus 0.25% of that amount for each full month your return is late. The maximum penalty period is 12 months. After that, no additional monthly charges apply.
If you (a regular taxpayer) does not file a return for a continuous period of six months, then the GST Officer may cancel the GST registration of such person. Before cancellation, the officer will issue a Notice seeking your clarification.
Paying several days early can help avoid processing delays, especially on weekends or holidays. If a payment is late, act fast by paying the balance as soon as possible, contacting your issuer or requesting a fee waiver. Some issuers may forgive a first-time late fee, especially if you ask promptly.
1. Login into GST portal: Navigate to > Services > User Services > My Applications. 2. On Navigating to 'My Applications' page, the taxpayer has to select 'Apply for Waiver Scheme under Section 128A' option under 'Application type' dropdown.
How can I avoid late fees if I'm facing a financial crunch? If you're going through a temporary financial crisis, contact your credit card issuer proactively and explain your situation. They may offer you a payment plan or waive off the late fees as a goodwill gesture.
The GST Amnesty Scheme 2025 is a relief measure aimed at reducing litigation and facilitating compliance. It allows taxpayers to settle disputes by paying the outstanding tax dues while receiving a GST waiver on associated interest and penalties.
Steps to Apply for the GST Waiver
Here's a simplified breakdown of the process under Section 128A: File an Application on the GST Portal: Apply electronically using FORM GST SPL-01 for non-fraudulent notices or FORM GST SPL-02 for certain orders. Include details of the tax payments made using FORM GST DRC-03.
An offender not paying tax or making short-payments has to pay a penalty of 10% of the tax amount due, subject to a minimum of Rs. 10,000. Therefore, the penalty will be high at 100% of the tax amount when the offender has evaded i.e., where there is a deliberate fraud.
50% (0.25% under the CGST Law + 0.25% under the SGST / UTGST Law) of turnover in the State/UT. These provisions apply to the filing of GSTR-9; however, no specific requirements apply to GSTR-9C, and hence, the filing of GSTR-9 and non-filing of GSTR-9C could be subject to a general penalty of Rs 25,000.
The IRS can waive penalties if you demonstrate that your failure to comply with tax requirements was due to reasonable cause. Acceptable reasons include serious illness, natural disasters, or other events beyond your control that prevented timely tax filing or payment.
Late submission penalty. A late submission penalty of $200 is imposed immediately when the GST return is not filed by the due date. A further penalty of $200 is imposed for every completed month that the GST F5/F8 return remains outstanding. The maximum penalty amount for each outstanding F5/F8 return is $10,000.
Since GSTR-9C was not filed, late fees applied from 1st January 2023 to 10th February 2025. Late fee beyond 15th March 2023 (GSTR-9 filing date) is waived, provided GSTR-9C is filed by 31st March 2025.
According to a report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, about 90 percent of first-time late fees can be waived if you simply ask. Even if you've missed payments more than once, some issuers still offer goodwill adjustments.
For NRIs who have not yet filed their Income Tax Returns for FY 2024–25 (AY 2025–26), the last opportunity to file a belated return is 31 December 2025. Filing after the due date attracts a late fee under section 234F and may result in the loss of certain tax benefits.
Key Points About GST Late Fees
Late filing penalties for goods and services tax (GST)
There is a late filing penalty of $50 if you're on the payments basis. There is a $250 penalty for late filing on the hybrid or invoice basis. These penalties are usually due on the 28th day of the month after the return was due.
Therefore, upon non –filing of GST returns or missing out the GST due dates, the GST law prescribes a general penalty. The maximum penalty that may be imposed is Rs. 5,000. The taxpayer will be required to pay interest on late payment of GST at a rate of 18% annually in addition to the late payment penalty.