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Published on:

December 24, 2025

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Basics of GST

How to File GSTR 7: TDS Return Filing Guide for Taxpayers

Filing GSTR-7 tends to feel simple until you’re the one staring at the portal, unsure why the system won’t accept your TDS entries. It’s a common loop. One missed detail, and the return refuses to move forward. With invoice-level reporting now in play, small mistakes don’t stay small anymore. One mismatch, one missed detail, and the portal pushes your return back at you.

Think of this guide as a quick breather before you file. You’ll see what to line up beforehand, how to move through each step without hesitation, and the red flags worth catching before you hit File.

What GSTR-7 covers, who files it, and the rules you can’t skip

Step-by-step filing on the GST portal

Common errors, Nil filing rules, and the newest updates

What is GSTR 7?

GSTR-7 is the monthly return you file when you deduct TDS under GST. Every payment you make to a supplier that triggers TDS needs to be reported here: the GSTIN of the deductee, the taxable amount, and the tax you held back. You can treat it like a record of what you dedicated and why. Once you file it, the supplier sees the TDS reflected in GSTR-2A, and their GSTR-7A certificate becomes available on the portal soon after.

There’s one shift worth keeping an eye on. Since April 2025, the return now requires invoice-level reporting. No more broad summaries. Each document has to match what actually happened, line by line. It keeps the credit flow clean for suppliers, but it means you need your records lined up before filing.

Who must file GSTR 7?

GSTR-7 is meant for a specific group. It’s not for regular taxpayers or composition dealers. It’s for entities that must deduct TDS under GST and report it every month. That list includes:

‍Government departments and establishments

Local authorities like municipalities or panchayats

Bodies notified under Notification 33/2017, including boards and authorities with 51% government ownership

Public sector undertakings (PSUs)

Societies created by the central or state government with majority government control

The rule is simple: if a taxable supply under a contract crosses ₹2.5lakh, TDS kicks in. Rates stay steady at 2% either 1% CGST + 1% SGST for intrastate transactions or 2% IGST for interstate ones.

There’s one situation where you skip TDS: when the supplier’s location, place of supply, and recipient's state don’t align. If the tax on the invoice isn’t IGST or the matching state taxes, TDS doesn’t apply.

GSTR 7 due date & late fees

GSTR-7 follows a steady schedule. You file it by the 10th of the month after you deduct TDS. Miss that window, and the meter starts running.

Late fees land at ₹200 per day, split as ₹100 under CGST and ₹100 under SGST, and stop once they hit ₹5,000. On top of that, 18% interest per year applies to any TDS you haven’t paid yet. The longer it sits, the more it costs.

There’s one bit of relief. Filing a Nil GSTR-7 no longer triggers late fees, as long as you truly had no TDS and no pending amendments for that period.

Prerequisites before filing GSTR 7

Before you head to the portal and start typing, a few basics have to be ready. GSTR-7 doesn’t leave much room for errors. If something is missing or doesn’t match up, the portal stops you and sends you back to correct it.

You’ll need an active GSTIN registered as a TDS deductor, along with your login access to the GST portal, before you begin. Keep the deductee’s GATIN, invoice details, taxable values, and the exact TDS split ready. These numbers must match the invoices you’ve paid or credited to the supplier; the portal cross-checks them.

You’ll file using either a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) or an Electronic Verification Code (EVC). No exceptions there. And since TDS payments come only from the electronic cash ledger, make sure you have enough balance before you proceed.

There’s one more rule that tends to catch people off guard. From October 2024 onward, GSTR-7 must be filed sequentially. If an earlier month is pending, the portal won’t let you move ahead. Clear older periods first, or the current return won’t open.

Step-by-step process: How to file GSTR 7 on the GST Portal

Filing GSTR-7 follows a clear path on the portal. The steps stay the same every month, and once you understand the flow, the return feels a lot less tense. Here’s how to move through it without hitting unexpected blocks.

Step 1: Log In and Open GSTR-7

Start on the GST portal

Go to Services → Returns → Returns Dashboard, choose the month you’re filing for, and select Prepare Online under the GSTR-7 tile. The form opens only if older periods aren’t pending, so clear those first.

Step 2: Enter TDS details

This is where you add each deduction:

Enter the deductee’s GSTIN.

Add the amount you paid that attracted TDS.

Split the tax correctly IGST (2%) for interstate, or CGST 1% + SGST 1% for intrastate.

Make sure the state codes in the transaction align with the tax type.

Hit Save after each entry, and repeat the process to add multiple records.

If the tax split doesn’t match the state logic, the portal blocks the entry. This is one of the most common errors during filing.

Step 3: Amend previous month entries

Use this section only when you’re fixing earlier data.

Amendment is allowed if the original entry exists and hasn’t been adjusted by the supplier yet. You’ll also see a “Rejected by Deductee” tab. If the supplier flags a mismatch, those entries appear there.

One thing to keep in mind: if even one record is sitting under the rejected tab, you can’t delete the corresponding details. Amend it instead. Once you update the numbers, the corrected values flow to the deductee.

Step 4: Computer liability

Click Computee Liability once your entities are final.

The portal needs a little time to work through your entries. If an earlier GSTR-7 is still pending, it won’t process the current month at all. You’ll have to file the older return before this one moves ahead.

Interest gets added automatically based on your filing date and pending TDS.

Step 5: Pay tax using the cash ledger

You can pay only through the electronic cash ledger. Credit ledger doesn’t work here.

Two scenarios play out:

‍If your cash balance is low, create a challan, add funds, and wait for the amount to reflect.

If the balance is enough, move straight to the filing stage.

This step locks your liability, so double-check the amounts before moving on.

Step 6: File GSTR-7 with DSC/EVC

Tick the declaration box, choose the authorized signatory, and then file using DSC or EVC

With EVC, enter the OTP sent to your phone or email

With DSC, sign using your registered certificate

Once the system accepts your return, and ARN (Application Reference Number) appears on the screen.

Sep 7: Download filed return & GSTR-7A Certificate

After filing, you can download:

A PDF copy of the filed return

An Excel summary for record-keeping

The GSTR-7A TDS certificate, which the supplier uses to claim credit

The certificate is generated automatically once your return is processed.

When should you file a Nil GSTR-7?

A Nil GSTR-7 comes into play when you had a quiet month, no TDS deducted, no payments that triggered GST rules, and nothing left to fix from earlier periods. If Table 3 has no entries and Table 4 doesn’t show pending amendments or rejected records, you file Nil for that month.

Skipping it isn’t an option. GSTR-7 is a monthly return, and the portal still expects a filing even when activity drops to zero. The upside: Nil returns don’t attract late fees, as long as nothing was deductible and no corrections were pending.

Common filing errors & how to avoid them

GSTR-7 is short, but the portal is strict. A small mismatch can freeze your return at the worst possible moment. These are the slip-ups that show up most often and how you can stay clear of them.

Wrong GSTIN of the deductee

One digit off, and the system treats it as a different taxpayer. The result? The supplier doesn’t get TDS credit, and you end up amending the entry later. Cross-check the GSTIN against the invoice before adding it to Table 3.

Tax split mismatch

TDS must total 2%. For intrastate supplies, it’s 1% +1%. For interstate, the full 2% sits under IGST. If the state codes don’t align with the tax you choose, the portal stops the entry. A quick review of location, place of supply, and recipient state saves you from backtracking.

Invoice-level reporting errors

With the shift to invoice-level reporting, each line has to reflect the actual transaction. A missing invoice, a rounded value, or a mismatch in taxable amount pushes the record into the rejected list on the supplier’s end.

“Computee Liability” is not responding

This usually points to an earlier GSTR-7 that wasn’t filed. The portal won’t process the current return until older months are cleared. Filing sequentially fixes this.

Rejected entries in Table 4

If the supplier rejects a TDS entry, it lands in Table 4. Leaving it untouched blocks Nil GSTR-7 for that month. Amend the values and resubmit so the system recognizes the correction.

Ledger balance mismatch

TDS can be paid only through the cash ledger. If you try moving ahead without enough balance, the portal throws an error. Check the available amount before computing liability, so you don’t break momentum mid-way.

These are the bumps most taxpayers hit. Spotting them early makes GSTR-7 smoother and far less stressful.

Conclusion

You’ve seen how GSTR-7 works, where mistakes usually happen, and how to move through the return without tripping over portal errors. It’s a clearer process once you know what the system expects.

Keep your deductee details and tax split so your entries don’t bounce back or land in the rejected list later.

Clear older GSTR-7 periods before filing the current one to avoid “Computee Liability” getting stuck

Use Nil filing smartly when the month has no activity, so you stay compliant without unnecessary fees

Track cash-ledger balance before filing, so you don’t stall mid-process over payment issues

And if you want smoother, clearer billing experiences across your payment workflow, Swipe fits neatly into everything you just worked through. It helps you move fast, stay accurate, and keep your financial tasks from piling up.