Form 26QB: Assessment Year Based on Payment Date or Filing Date?

Hi guys,

Quick question on Form 26QB.

Is the Assessment Year (AY) determined based on:
• the date of payment to the seller, or
• the date on which Form 26QB is actually filed on the portal?

For example, if:
• the payment to the seller was made in February 2025, but
• Form 26QB was filed late in June 2025

does the AY remain the one linked to February 2025, or does it shift because the filing happened in a later period?

Would appreciate some clarity on how AY is correctly determined in such late-filing scenarios. Thanks in advance.