GST Quarterly Filing (QRMP)

Quarterly GST filing for small businesses under the QRMP scheme.

QRMP lets a business with turnover up to ₹5 crore file GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B quarterly instead of monthly, while still paying tax every month through Form PMT-06 — it reduces returns from twelve a year to four, and reduces payments by nothing at all. Businesses that read it as a payment deferral pay 18% interest for the privilege, which is the single most common QRMP mistake and the most avoidable.

Who this is for

4 filings per year
Reduced compliance
Cash flow friendly
Quarterly reconciliation

The process

What we actually do

1
We check whether QRMP actually suits your customers
If you sell to registered businesses, quarterly GSTR-1 means they wait up to three months to see your invoice in their GSTR-2B and claim credit. That is a commercial cost, and it is why the Invoice Furnishing Facility exists — we set it up so B2B invoices go up monthly while the return stays quarterly.
2
We choose between the fixed-sum and self-assessment methods
The fixed-sum method pays 35% of last quarter's cash tax each month with no computation. Self-assessment computes the actual liability. Fixed-sum is simpler; it is the wrong choice in a quarter where sales have fallen sharply, because you are paying on last quarter's figures.
3
We pay PMT-06 by the 25th, every month
The payment is monthly regardless of the quarterly return. Missing it is what generates the interest that surprises people who thought QRMP meant quarterly payment.
4
We reconcile GSTR-2B monthly even though the return is quarterly
GSTR-2B is still generated every month, and credit still has to be matched against it. Leaving reconciliation to the quarter end means chasing a missing supplier invoice three months late, by which point the section 16(4) deadline is closer than anyone realises.
5
We file the quarterly returns and watch the eligibility
Turnover crossing ₹5 crore ends eligibility, and the transition back to monthly filing has to happen at the right point rather than being noticed at year end.

Who this is for

Businesses with aggregate turnover up to ₹5 crore in the preceding financial year
Small traders and service providers whose monthly filing effort outweighs the volume
Businesses whose customers are mostly consumers, where delayed GSTR-1 costs nobody credit
Anyone currently on QRMP paying interest and unsure why

How long it takes

The cycle is fixed: PMT-06 by the 25th of each month, quarterly GSTR-1 by the 13th and GSTR-3B by the 22nd or 24th of the month following the quarter, depending on the state. Opting in or out is done once a quarter through the portal.

If you do nothing

Staying on monthly filing costs eight extra returns a year and nothing else — QRMP is optional, and for a business with high-value B2B customers monthly filing is arguably better. The failure that costs money is opting in and then treating the payment as quarterly, which quietly accrues interest on eight months out of every twelve.

The law, in figures

Dates, thresholds and sections

Every figure below carries the provision it comes from, so it can be checked.
What	Figure	Source
Eligibility	Aggregate turnover up to ₹5 crore in the preceding financial year	Notification 84/2020-Central Tax
Monthly payment	Form PMT-06 by the 25th of the following month	Rule 61(1), CGST Rules 2017
Fixed-sum method	35% of the cash tax paid in the preceding quarter	Notification 84/2020-Central Tax
Quarterly GSTR-1	13th of the month following the quarter	Notification 84/2020-Central Tax
Interest on late monthly payment	18% per annum	Section 50(1), CGST Act 2017

What usually goes wrong

Treating QRMP as quarterly payment and paying 18% interest on two months of every quarter
Not using the Invoice Furnishing Facility, and delaying B2B customers' input credit by up to a quarter
Using the fixed-sum method in a quarter where turnover has collapsed, and overpaying for two months
Leaving GSTR-2B reconciliation to the quarter end, when it is generated monthly
Staying on QRMP after turnover crosses ₹5 crore

What non-compliance costs

Interest at 18% per annum on tax not paid by the 25th of each month
Late fee of ₹50 per day per quarterly return, ₹20 for nil returns
The same e-way bill block applies after two consecutive default periods

These are statutory amounts, not our fees. What we charge depends on your situation and is quoted before any work starts.

Not to be confused with

These come up in the same conversation and are routinely treated as the same thing. They are not.

Composition scheme

Composition changes the tax treatment — a flat rate on turnover with no input credit and no tax charged to customers. QRMP changes only how often you file; the tax treatment is entirely normal.

Common questions

How often do I have to file GST returns?

Monthly for most registered businesses — GSTR-1 by the eleventh and GSTR-3B by the twentieth of the following month. Businesses with turnover up to ₹5 crore can opt into the QRMP scheme and file quarterly instead, though tax still has to be paid every month. Composition dealers file one annual return in GSTR-4 plus a quarterly payment statement.

See all questions

Terms you will come across

QRMP: QRMP is the scheme that lets businesses with turnover up to ₹5 crore file GST returns quarterly while still paying tax monthly.

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