ITC time limit: Section 16(4) and the 30 November rule

ITC for an invoice of a financial year cannot be taken after 30 November of the following year or the date of filing the annual return, whichever is earlier.

Section 16(4): a registered person cannot take ITC on any invoice or debit note after 30 November following the end of the financial year to which it relates, or after filing the relevant annual return, whichever is earlier.

Example

For an invoice dated 15 January 2026 (FY 2025-26), ITC must be claimed in a GSTR-3B filed on or before 30 November 2026, unless the annual return for FY 2025-26 is filed earlier.

Related relaxations

• Sections 16(5) and 16(6) (inserted by the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2024) give specific relief for FY 2017-18 to 2020-21 and for returns filed after revocation of cancellation. Read the exact conditions before relying on them.

Practical tips

• Run a year-end 2B vs books reconciliation well before 30 November and chase missing supplier uploads early.
• The same 30 November cut-off applies to declaring credit notes for a financial year (Section 34(2)).