Composition dealers CMP-08 self-assessed tax statement is due the 18th after each quarter

For any business registered under the GST composition scheme, one date recurs every three months: the 18th. Form GST CMP-08, the quarterly statement-cum-challan of self-assessed tax payable, must be filed by the 18th of the month succeeding each quarter, per the GST portal rules that give effect to the Central Goods and Services Tax Act 2017. With the July to September 2026 quarter now under way, the next CMP-08 for composition taxpayers falls due on Tuesday 18 October 2026, while the nearest deadline on tomorrow's horizon, Thursday 6 August 2026, is the 7 August cut-off for depositing tax deducted at source in July.

This edition of Tomorrow's Watchlist maps the compliance calendar for the three weeks from 6 August 2026, anchors it to the CMP-08 quarterly rhythm that composition dealers live by, and flags the market events and the 14 August earnings deadline that sit alongside it. Every figure below is drawn from statute, the official portals, or Oquilia's own rate configuration, and nothing is projected.

Statutory Deadlines

The composition levy under Section 10 of the CGST Act 2017 lets small suppliers pay a flat percentage of turnover instead of the standard invoice-level GST. Eligibility is capped at Rs 1.5 crore of aggregate turnover in the preceding financial year for suppliers of goods (Rs 75 lakh in the special-category states), and Section 10(2A) extends a parallel route to service providers and mixed suppliers up to Rs 50 lakh. In exchange for that simplicity, the composition dealer surrenders input tax credit and files CMP-08 four times a year rather than the monthly GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B that regular taxpayers face.

CMP-08 is a self-assessed statement: the dealer computes the tax on the quarter's turnover, pays it, and reports the figure. There is no invoice-level upload, but the 18th-of-the-month deadline is firm. Late payment of the tax attracts interest at 18% per annum under Section 50(1) of the CGST Act, calculated from the day after the due date until the tax is actually paid. Because 18 October 2026 falls on a Sunday, composition dealers should file on or before that date rather than assume an informal grace day, as GST returns carry no statutory holiday extension.

The quarterly cycle for Form GST CMP-08 runs as follows:

The rate a composition dealer pays depends on the nature of the supply. The three bands set by Section 10 and Rule 7 of the CGST Rules are:

Beyond CMP-08, composition taxpayers file one annual return, Form GSTR-4, due by 30 June following the close of the financial year under Rule 62 of the CGST Rules. For the year 2025-26 that return was due by 30 June 2026; missing it triggers a capped late fee, so dealers who have not filed should reconcile their four CMP-08 statements against the annual figure. Our GST calculator helps model the flat-rate liability before you commit a turnover figure to the portal.

For every business, composition or regular, the immediate item on tomorrow's calendar is the income-tax deposit due Friday 7 August 2026. Under Rule 30 of the Income-tax Rules read with the Income Tax Department guidance, tax deducted or collected at source during July 2026 must be paid to the credit of the government by the 7th of the following month. The TDS calculator and the TDS glossary entry set out how the deducted amount is computed before it is deposited. The self-assessed nature of both CMP-08 and monthly TDS is worth noting: in each case the taxpayer, not the department, strikes the number, which is why the self-assessment tax discipline matters.

The three weeks from 6 August 2026 carry a dense sequence of statutory cut-offs. The calendar below lists the recurring deadlines and the taxpayers each one binds:

The 15 August 2026 line is doubly significant: it is both the deadline for issuing Form 16A quarter-one TDS certificates and Independence Day, a gazetted holiday. Businesses that leave certificate issuance to the last working day should treat 14 August 2026, a Friday, as their effective cut-off. Those who also pay advance tax should note that the first instalment for the year, 15% of the estimated liability, fell due on 15 June 2026, and the second, taking the cumulative figure to 45%, is due on 15 September 2026, which the advance-tax calculator and the advance tax glossary entry both track.

Market Events

The monetary backdrop for tomorrow is a Reserve Bank of India on hold. The Monetary Policy Committee has kept the repo rate at 5.25%, the level reached after a cumulative 125 basis points of cuts through 2025 that brought the rate down from 6.50%. The Standing Deposit Facility rate sits at 5.00% and the Marginal Standing Facility at 5.50%, per the RBI monetary policy record. Composition dealers and salaried savers alike feel this rate through deposit pricing rather than input credit, so the pause matters more for cash-flow planning than for the GST return itself.

Small-savings rates are the other fixed reference point. The Finance Ministry left every small-savings rate unchanged for the July to September 2026 quarter, the ninth consecutive quarter without a revision. The Public Provident Fund stays at 7.1%, the Senior Citizen Savings Scheme and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana at 8.2% each, the National Savings Certificate at 7.7%, and the Post Office Monthly Income Scheme at 7.4%. A composition dealer parking quarterly GST provisions in a liquid instrument has a stable rate map for the whole quarter, and the SIP calculator can model the alternative of a systematic equity plan against those fixed returns.

The primary market gives tomorrow a live event. LEAP India has filed its Red Herring Prospectus for a Rs 2,480 crore initial public offering that opens on 7 August 2026, the same day the July TDS deposit falls due. That follows the recent debut of Manipal Health Enterprises, which listed at an 11% premium over its Rs 590 issue price. Neither figure is a forecast; both are drawn from the exchange filings already on the public record, and IPO subscription decisions should rest on the offer document rather than any secondary chatter.

Earnings

There is no confirmed single-company results calendar to publish for 6 August 2026, so this section flags the regulatory deadline that governs the whole earnings season rather than naming issuers. Under Regulation 33 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations 2015, a listed entity must submit its quarterly financial results to the stock exchanges within 45 days of the end of each quarter. For the quarter ended 30 June 2026, that places the outer deadline at 14 August 2026, a Friday, per the SEBI regulatory framework.

That 14 August 2026 line means the densest cluster of Q1 FY 2026-27 results will land in the trading sessions immediately before it, overlapping with the 11 August GSTR-1 and 13 August QRMP deadlines. Investors tracking the season should read audited or limited-review numbers as they are filed with the exchanges rather than relying on previews, since Regulation 33 requires the disclosure to carry either a limited review or an audit. For composition dealers who are also equity investors, the practical takeaway is that the 14 August results wall and the 18 October CMP-08 date belong to two separate compliance worlds that only share a calendar.

FAQ

When is Form GST CMP-08 due for the July to September 2026 quarter?

CMP-08 for the July to September 2026 quarter is due on 18 October 2026. The statutory rule is the 18th of the month succeeding the quarter, and because 18 October 2026 is a Sunday, composition dealers should file on or before that date rather than expect an extension.

What is the tax rate under the GST composition scheme?

The composition rate depends on the supply: 1% of turnover for manufacturers and traders of goods, 5% for restaurant service, and 6% for other service providers under Section 10(2A) of the CGST Act. These are flat rates on turnover, and the dealer cannot claim input tax credit in return.

What happens if CMP-08 tax is paid late?

Late payment of the self-assessed tax in CMP-08 attracts interest at 18% per annum under Section 50(1) of the CGST Act, running from the day after the 18th until the tax is credited to the government. The separate annual return, Form GSTR-4, carries its own capped late fee if filed after 30 June following the financial year.

What is the most immediate deadline after 6 August 2026?

The nearest hard deadline is 7 August 2026, when tax deducted or collected at source during July 2026 must be deposited under Rule 30 of the Income-tax Rules. GST TDS and TCS returns in GSTR-7 and GSTR-8 follow on 10 August 2026, and monthly GSTR-1 on 11 August 2026.

By when must listed companies file their June 2026 quarter results?

Under Regulation 33 of the SEBI LODR Regulations 2015, listed companies must file results within 45 days of the quarter end, making 14 August 2026 the outer deadline for the quarter ended 30 June 2026. The results must carry a limited review or audit.

Do composition dealers file monthly GST returns?

No. Composition taxpayers file the quarterly CMP-08 by the 18th of the month after each quarter and a single annual GSTR-4, in place of the monthly GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B that regular taxpayers submit. This is the core administrative benefit of the scheme under Section 10 of the CGST Act.

What is the current repo rate and small-savings rate backdrop?

The RBI repo rate stands at 5.25% after 125 basis points of cuts through 2025, with small-savings rates unchanged for the July to September 2026 quarter: PPF at 7.1%, SCSS and Sukanya Samriddhi at 8.2%, and NSC at 7.7%. These rates frame the return a composition dealer earns on quarterly GST provisions held in the interim.