GST Tip of the Day: The QRMP Scheme — File Quarterly, But Don't Forget to Pay Monthly

The half-truth that trips up small businesses

Many small-business owners hear "QRMP" and assume it means they only deal with GST four times a year. That's only half right. Under the Quarterly Return, Monthly Payment (QRMP) scheme, your returns go quarterly — but your tax payment stays monthly. Misunderstanding this is one of the quiet reasons businesses end up paying interest on late tax even while feeling perfectly compliant.

Who can opt in

QRMP is open to registered taxpayers whose aggregate turnover was up to ₹5 crore in the preceding financial year. You opt in on the GST portal, and the choice generally continues until you change it. You can switch your preference at the start of a quarter, within the window the portal allows.

If your turnover crosses ₹5 crore mid-year, you must move out of QRMP from the next quarter.

What changes when you opt in

• GSTR-1: filed quarterly instead of monthly.
• GSTR-3B: filed quarterly instead of monthly.
• Tax payment: still made every month for the first two months of the quarter using Form PMT-06.

So for a quarter, you make two monthly tax deposits, and then settle everything in the quarterly GSTR-3B.

Paying tax in months 1 and 2

For the first two months, you choose one of two methods:

1. Fixed Sum Method: the portal generates a pre-filled challan — typically 35% of the tax paid in cash last quarter (or 100% of the tax paid in cash in the last month of the previous quarter, where applicable). Easy, but it may not match your actual liability.
2. Self-Assessment Method: you calculate your actual liability for the month after adjusting available ITC, and pay that. More work, but no over- or under-payment.

Pay the PMT-06 challan by the 25th of the following month.

Let your B2B buyers claim ITC sooner: use the IFF

Here's a point that matters if you sell to other businesses. If you only file GSTR-1 once a quarter, your B2B customers wait up to three months to see those invoices in their GSTR-2B — delaying their ITC.

The Invoice Furnishing Facility (IFF) solves this. In each of the first two months, you can optionally upload your B2B invoices (up to the prescribed value limit) so they flow to your buyers' GSTR-2B on time. The IFF window is usually open until the 13th of the next month. Use it if your buyers care about timely credit.

Quarterly GSTR-3B due dates

The quarterly GSTR-3B due date is 22nd or 24th of the month following the quarter, depending on your principal place of business (state). Confirm which one applies to you before the quarter ends.

A simple action plan

• Check whether your preceding-year turnover qualifies (up to ₹5 crore).
• Decide if quarterly filing actually helps you, or if monthly suits your cash flow better.
• If you opt in, set monthly reminders for PMT-06 — the 25th is not optional.
• If you have B2B customers, plan to use the IFF so their ITC isn't held up.

The bottom line

QRMP genuinely reduces filing effort, but it is not a holiday from paying GST. Treat the monthly PMT-06 as seriously as you would a monthly GSTR-3B. Skip it, and interest quietly accrues on the unpaid tax — defeating the convenience the scheme was meant to offer.