Tax Consultant
1125 Points
Posted on 23 June 2026
Missed RCM from a prior year can be paid voluntarily, but whether you can recover the ITC depends on timing.
Paying the liability:
- Go to the GST portal, Services > Ledgers > Electronic Cash Ledger, and use Form DRC-03 (voluntary payment) to pay the pending RCM tax for the missed period.
- Interest at 18% per annum applies from the original due date of that period to the actual date of payment.
Recovering the ITC: Section 16(4) sets a hard deadline. For RCM ITC to be claimable, you must avail it before the EARLIER of:
- 30 November following the financial year in which the invoice was received, OR
- Date of filing the annual return (GSTR-9) for that year
For FY 2024-25 RCM missed: if GSTR-9 for FY 2024-25 has already been filed, the ITC window is closed. You can still pay the tax (to stop penalty), but the ITC credit is permanently lost.
For FY 2025-26 RCM missed: GSTR-9 for FY 2025-26 is not yet due. Pay via DRC-03 now, claim the ITC in the next GSTR-3B under Table 4(A)(3), and close it before the GSTR-9 filing deadline.
This [GST DRC-03 voluntary payment guide](https://taxgarden.in/blog/gst-drc-03-voluntary-payment-guide-india-2026) covers the portal steps and how to calculate interest for past-due periods.