Statutory Payments
(Or: "How to pay the government without going bankrupt")
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3.4.1 Employee Deductions
The Four Horsemen of Salary Apocalypse
Deduction Who Pays Due Date Late Fees Pro Tip
TDS (Tax) Employer 7th of next month ₹200/day Use TRACES portal for corrections
PF Employer+Employee 15th of next month 1% interest/month ECR filing mandatory
ESI Employer+Employee 15th of next month 12% p.a. penalty New portal requires Aadhaar linking
PT (Professional Tax) Employee Varies by state (Maharashtra: 30th) ₹5-20/day Deduct before calculating TDS
💀 Horror Story:
A Chennai startup mixed up PF and PT payments - ended up with:
• ₹2.8L in penalties
• 3 employees denied home loans
• Labour inspection every quarter
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3.4.2 GST Payments
The Ultimate Cashflow Killer
Payment Type When to Use Danger Zone Lifehack
Cash Ledger When no input credit Drains working capital Pay via UPI for instant credit
Credit Ledger When you have ITC Mismatch = Interest + penalty Use GSTN's auto-population tool
🔥 Bloodbath Case:
A Ghaziabad manufacturer used wrong GSTIN for 6 months:
• ₹17L input credit lost forever
• ₹3.4L interest penalty
• 8 months of follow-up notices
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🛡️ Compliance War Room
"Rate your statutory game:"
Parameter 😱 Jail Time 🛠️ Survivable 🛡️ Ironclad
TDS Manual calculations Partial payments Automated software + NSDL integration
PF Cash payments ECR filed late PF commissioner login with OTP
GST Paid after notice Manual ITC claims GSTN auto-fill + reconciliation tool
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🚨 Emergency Protocols
"When the taxman knocks:"
Disaster First Aid Permanent Cure
Missed TDS deadline Pay with penalty before month-end Implement TDS calendar with 3 reminders
Wrong GST payment File FORM GST PMT-06 for reallocation Hire GST consultant for quarterly review
PF/ESI arrears Use amnesty scheme (if available) Automate payments through bank mandate
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📌 Founder's Survival Kit
1. The 5-Day Buffer: Process all statutory payments 5 days before deadline
2. The Reconciliation Ritual: Every 25th:
o Match books with GST returns
o Verify TDS certificates
o Check PF passbooks
3. The Nuclear Option: For chronic issues:
o Maintain separate bank account for statutory funds
o Assign dedicated compliance officer
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🎯 Final Thought
"There are two types of businesses: those that do statutory compliance properly, and those that don't exist for long."
