The Government via Notification No. 08/2025-Central Tax (January 23, 2025) has waived excess late fees for delayed GSTR-9C (reconciliation statement) filing for financial years 2017-18 to 2022-23. This amnesty is available if the pending GSTR-9C 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.
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.
Key Points About GST Late Fees
Form GSTR-9C is required to be filed by every registered person whose aggregate turnover is above a certain threshold during the financial year, as notified by way of Notifications issued by Government of India from time to time.
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.
With ExpressGST Software one can file GSTR 9 and GSTR 9C online, as the software assists you by validating your books data at every step and gives you a ready comparison between books v/s GSTR1 & GSTR3B. One just has to confirm and check before submitting the Annual Return online.
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.
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.
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.
Avail the new GST Amnesty Scheme 2024, introduced via Section 128A for conditional waiver of interest and penalties for tax demands from FY 2017-18 to 2019-20 under Section 73. To qualify, taxpayers must fully pay outstanding tax dues by March 31, 2025. 8.
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.
To provide relief, the Government issued Notification No. 08/2025-Central Tax, dated 23rd January 2025, waiving excess late fees for delayed GSTR-9C filing for financial years up to FY 2022-23, provided it is filed by 31st March 2025.
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. For instance, the GSTR-9C due date for FY 2024-25 is 31st December 2025.
The following category of tax persons are exempted from payment of 1% of GST in Cash 1. Registered taxpayers who have paid income tax above Rs 1.00 in Income Tax during the last two years continuously 2. Taxpayers who have zero-rated supplies without payment of duty and claimed refund of more than Rs 1.00 lac 3.
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.
Grace Period & Late Fees ⚠️
Most loans include a short grace period—typically 10–15 days after the due date—before a payment is officially considered late. If you miss this window, you'll likely be hit with a late fee, usually in the $25–$50 range or outlined in your loan agreement.
If your return is over 60 days late, there's also a minimum penalty for late filing; it's the lesser of $525 (for tax returns required to be filed in 2026) or 100 percent of the tax owed. See Topic no. 304 for information about extensions of time to file if you can't file on time.
Maximum Late Fee for Annual Return (GSTR-9)
The late fee is capped at 0.25% of the taxpayer's turnover in the state or union territory per Act (i.e., up to 0.5% total for both CGST and SGST). For example, if turnover is ₹1 crore, the maximum late fee can be up to ₹50,000 (₹25,000 under CGST and ₹25,000 under SGST).
How to File GSTR-9C?
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