DPT-3 annual return filing by 30 June — mandatory even with zero deposits if your company has director loans, bank loans, or other exempted borrowings outstanding on 31 March. Data compilation, auditor-certificate coordination, and ROC filing handled end-to-end.
Form DPT-3 is the annual return a company files with the Registrar of Companies (ROC) reporting its deposits and, just as importantly, all money and loans that are not considered deposits (exempted borrowings) outstanding as on 31 March. It is filed under Rule 16 read with Rule 16A of the Companies (Acceptance of Deposits) Rules, 2014 (the deposit framework of Section 73). DPT-3 is part of your annual ROC compliance alongside AOC-4, MGT-7 and ADT-1 — see our Company Annual Compliance service. Our CA-assisted service handles it end to end: assessing what you must report, compiling the figures, coordinating the auditor's certificate where needed, and filing before the deadline.
The biggest misconception about DPT-3 is that it is only for companies that take public deposits. It is not. If your company has any of these outstanding on 31 March, you must file DPT-3 reporting them as “amounts not considered deposits”:
A perfectly ordinary private company with just a director's loan or a bank loan on its books has to file. The filing is mandatory regardless of turnover, profit or activity.
| Type of Company | DPT-3? |
|---|---|
| Private, Public, OPC and Small companies (to which the Deposit Rules apply) | Must file |
| Government companies | Exempt |
| Banking companies, NBFCs and Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) | Exempt |
| Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) | Do not file DPT-3 |
DPT-3 is filed for a specific purpose, and the auditor's certificate is required only where actual deposits are involved:
| Purpose Selected | Auditor Certificate | Typical Filer |
|---|---|---|
| Return of deposits (actual public deposits) | Required | Deposit-accepting companies |
| Return of exempted amounts (money not considered deposits, Rule 2(1)(c)) | Not required | Most ordinary companies (loans/advances only) |
| Both deposits and exempted amounts | Required | Companies with both |
(A separate one-time return for receipts between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2019 was a historical filing completed in 2019 — it is not a recurring requirement. Only the annual return is live today.)
DPT-3 is due by 30 June every year, reporting the position as on 31 March of that year (for example, the FY 2025-26 return covers balances as on 31 March 2026 and is due by 30 June 2026). Where the filing includes actual deposits, the 31 March figures must be certified by the company's auditor. We compile and reconcile the figures well ahead of the deadline so the certificate and filing are ready on time.
Under Rule 2(1)(c), several common receipts are not treated as deposits but must still be reported in DPT-3:
Our professional fee is a flat ₹1,999. The ROC government fee is charged at actuals on your authorised share capital:
| Authorised Share Capital | ROC Fee (per form) |
|---|---|
| Below ₹1,00,000 | ₹200 |
| ₹1,00,000 to ₹4,99,999 | ₹300 |
| ₹5,00,000 to ₹24,99,999 | ₹400 |
| ₹25,00,000 to ₹99,99,999 | ₹500 |
| ₹1,00,00,000 and above | ₹600 |
Late filing of DPT-3 attracts an additional fee calculated as a multiple of the normal fee — not a per-day amount. Unlike a few forms, DPT-3 gets no grace tier; the multiplier applies from the first day of delay:
(This slab has applied since 1 July 2022.) Filing on or before 30 June avoids any additional fee.
Be clear about the distinction. A late DPT-3 return is dealt with by the additional-fee slab above, plus a modest penalty under Rule 21 of the Deposit Rules (the company and officers in default, up to ₹5,000 with a continuing fine of ₹500 per day). The frightening ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore figures under Section 76A apply only where a company actually accepts deposits in breach of the law (with imprisonment up to 7 years for officers) — they are not the penalty for filing the return a few days late.
If your company has nothing outstanding at all on 31 March — no deposits and no exempted borrowings — a DPT-3 is not mandatory, per the MCA's clarification. In practice, many companies still file a precautionary nil return to keep a clean record and avoid later queries from the ROC. We will tell you honestly which situation you are in rather than filing something you do not need.
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DPT-3 is the annual return of deposits filed with the ROC under Rule 16/16A of the Companies (Acceptance of Deposits) Rules, 2014. It must be filed by every company — private, public, OPC or small — to which the Deposit Rules apply. Government companies, banking companies, NBFCs and Housing Finance Companies are exempt, and LLPs do not file DPT-3. It reports both actual deposits and money that is not treated as a deposit.
Most likely, yes. DPT-3 is not only for deposit-taking companies. If your company has any loans from directors, inter-corporate loans, bank or financial-institution loans, customer advances outstanding beyond 365 days, or employee security deposits on 31 March, you must file DPT-3 reporting them as amounts not considered deposits (Rule 2(1)(c)). An ordinary private company with just a director's loan or a bank loan has to file.
DPT-3 is due by 30 June every year and reports the position as on 31 March of that year. For example, the return for FY 2025-26 covers balances as on 31 March 2026 and is due by 30 June 2026.
Only when actual deposits are involved. If you file the return of deposits or both, the 31 March figures must be certified by your auditor. If you are filing only the return of exempted amounts (loans and advances that are not deposits) — the common case for most companies — no auditor certificate is needed.
Common receipts that are not deposits but must still be reported include: loans from banks, public financial institutions and insurance companies; inter-corporate loans; money from a director (or a relative, in a private company) with a written declaration that it is their own funds, not borrowed; advances for goods or services adjusted within 365 days; secured debentures; and employee security deposits not exceeding annual salary.
Our professional fee is a flat ₹1,999. The ROC government fee is charged at actuals on your authorised share capital — ₹200 to ₹600 per form (₹200 below ₹1 lakh, rising to ₹600 at ₹1 crore and above).
DPT-3 late filing is charged as a multiple of the normal fee — a slab, not a daily rate, and it gets no grace tier: 2× for a delay up to 30 days, then 4× (30–60 days), 6× (60–90), 10× (90–180) and 12× (beyond 180 days). Filing on or before 30 June avoids it entirely.
No. A late return is dealt with by the additional-fee slab above, plus a modest penalty under Rule 21 (up to ₹5,000, with ₹500 per day if it continues). The ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore penalty under Section 76A applies only where a company actually accepts deposits in breach of the law — not for filing the return late.
If there are no deposits and no exempted borrowings outstanding on 31 March, a DPT-3 is not mandatory (per the MCA's clarification). Many companies nonetheless file a precautionary nil return to keep a clean record and avoid ROC queries. We will confirm which applies to you rather than filing something unnecessary.
No. The one-time return for receipts between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2019 was a historical filing completed back in 2019 — it is not a recurring requirement. Only the annual DPT-3 is live today. DPT-3 sits alongside AOC-4, MGT-7 and ADT-1 in your yearly filings — see our Company Annual Compliance service for the full annual suite.
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