QRMP: Should Your Startup File GST Quarterly?
The QRMP scheme lets businesses with turnover up to ₹5 crore file GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B quarterly while paying tax monthly. Here's who's eligible, how it works, and when it's worth switching.
QRMP — Quarterly Return, Monthly Payment — lets a business with aggregate turnover up to ₹5 crore file GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B once a quarter instead of every month, while still paying tax monthly via a simple challan. For a small startup it cuts filing frequency from twelve returns a year to four, with less monthly overhead — but you still pay monthly, and it changes when your customers see your invoices. Here's whether to switch.
Who's eligible
QRMP is open to registered taxpayers with aggregate annual turnover up to ₹5 crore. It's an election — you opt in (and can opt out) per the GST portal's windows — not automatic. Above ₹5 crore, you must file monthly.
How it works
- Returns quarterly: you file GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B once per quarter.
- Payment monthly: for the first two months of each quarter you pay estimated tax via a PMT-06 challan (fixed-sum or self-assessment method); you settle up in the quarterly 3B.
- IFF (optional): an Invoice Furnishing Facility lets you upload B2B invoices in the first two months so your customers see them in their GSTR-2B sooner and don't wait a full quarter for their input credit.
When QRMP is worth it
- You're small and below ₹5 crore, with modest monthly volumes — the reduced filing cadence saves real time.
- Your customers are B2C or don't urgently need monthly ITC — so quarterly reporting doesn't hurt anyone.
When to stay monthly
- Your B2B customers need timely input credit — quarterly reporting (without using IFF) delays when they can claim, which can strain the relationship. IFF mitigates this, but monthly is simpler if most of your sales are B2B.
- You're near or above ₹5 crore — you'll have to move to monthly anyway.
The election is a real decision — track it
QRMP is one of the few places GST lets you choose your cadence, and the choice affects both your workload and your customers. Whichever you pick, the deadlines differ (quarterly 3B is due the 22nd/24th by state, vs the 20th monthly), so your calendar must reflect your actual election. ComplianceStack sets your GST calendar to your chosen scheme so the right dates fire. Get your free compliance health check. (See the full GST compliance guide.)
FAQs
- What is the QRMP scheme?
- Quarterly Return, Monthly Payment — a GST scheme for taxpayers with turnover up to ₹5 crore to file GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B quarterly while paying tax monthly via a PMT-06 challan.
- Who is eligible for QRMP?
- Registered taxpayers with aggregate annual turnover up to ₹5 crore, who opt in via the GST portal. Above ₹5 crore, monthly filing is required.
- Does QRMP delay my customers' input credit?
- It can, since B2B invoices are reported quarterly — unless you use the Invoice Furnishing Facility (IFF) to upload them monthly so customers see them in their GSTR-2B sooner.
- Is QRMP better than monthly filing?
- For small, largely B2C businesses below ₹5 crore, yes — fewer returns. For B2B-heavy businesses whose customers need timely ITC, monthly (or QRMP with IFF) is often better.
This article is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Statutory timelines and thresholds change by notification — confirm applicability and interpretation with your CA, CS, or lawyer before acting.
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