As March 2026 approaches, pressure on accounting departments and business owners intensifies as this is the crucial time to fulfill tax obligations for the 2025 fiscal year. Understanding the deadlines for submitting 2025 financial reports not only ensures legal compliance but also optimizes risk management, avoiding costly late payment penalties.
Why is March 2026 the "peak" of the tax settlement season?
According to the provisions of the Accounting Law No. 88/2015/QH13 and the Tax Administration Law No. 38/2019/QH14, most annual reports and tax returns have a deadline on the last day of the third month after the end of the fiscal year.
The 2026 tax season is even more noteworthy because:
- Regulations on late payment penalties have been amended according to Law No. 56/2024/QH15 (effective January 1, 2025).
- The new accounting regime applicable to administrative and non-business units, as stipulated in Circular 24/2024/TT-BTC, officially came into effect on January 1, 2025.
This requires accountants to carefully review records and strictly adhere to legal deadlines.
Details of the deadline for submitting financial reports for 2025.
The most important legal basis governing this timeline is the Accounting Law No. 88/2015/QH13. Businesses need to clearly distinguish the deadlines depending on the type of organization to ensure they do not violate the deadline for submitting financial statements in 2025.
For businesses and economic organizations
Based on Article 29 of the Accounting Law No. 88/2015/QH13:
- Deadline: No later than 90 days from the end of the fiscal year.
- Specific date: With the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, the official deadline for submitting the 2025 financial statements is March 31, 2026.
- Location: Documents must be submitted simultaneously to the directly managing Tax Authority, the Statistics Authority, and the Business Licensing Authority (if required by the Department of Planning and Investment).
It's not just private businesses that need to comply with the deadline at the end of March; public sector entities also have their own strict regulations, especially with the recent changes in accounting policy.
For administrative and public service units (New points to note)
Accountants in public institutions need to pay special attention to Circular 24/2024/TT-BTC (effective from January 1, 2025).
- Pursuant to point a, clause 6, Article 9 of this Circular, the annual financial report must be submitted to the superior agency or the financial agency at the same level within 90 days from the end of the fiscal year.
- Therefore, March 31, 2026 is also the deadline for the public administration sector to complete the submission of its 2025 report.
Besides the long-term annual reports, accountants also need to pay close attention to daily tax obligations. Before focusing all efforts on the March 31st deadline, there is another important milestone that needs to be addressed definitively in the first half of the month.
Tax filing and payment schedule for February 2026.
Before finalizing the annual tax return, the accountant needs to settle all outstanding tax obligations arising from the February 2026 tax period.
Based on Clause 1, Article 44 of the Law on Tax Administration No. 38/2019/QH14:
- Deadline for filing monthly tax returns: March 20, 2026
- This applies to taxes declared monthly, such as Value Added Tax (VAT) and Personal Income Tax withheld at source.
According to Article 55 of the same law:
- The deadline for paying taxes coincides with the deadline for filing tax returns, which is before March 20, 2026.
Completing the tasks on time will help ensure accurate data matching when preparing financial statements and annual tax returns.
Corporate income tax and personal income tax settlement for 2025
In addition to meeting the 2025 financial reporting deadline, businesses must also settle two of the most important taxes:
- Corporate Income Tax (CIT): Businesses must submit the tax return form 03/TNDN along with the accompanying appendices. The deadline for submission coincides with the deadline for submitting the 2025 financial statements, which is March 31, 2026.
- Personal Income Tax (PIT): For organizations paying income, they must perform tax finalization on behalf of employees who have authorized them to do so, or finalize the tax already withheld at source. The deadline is March 31, 2026.
- For individuals who directly settle their tax obligations: according to regulations, individuals who have overpaid taxes and wish to request a refund, or who have additional tax payable, may make the payment no later than the last day of the fourth month (April 30, 2026).
Beyond simply completing reports on time, accountants also need to pay special attention to changes in penalty regulations. The latest updates from Law No. 56/2024/QH15 have significantly altered the method of calculating late payment fees, making the failure to submit financial reports on time in 2025 a greater financial risk than ever before.
Risks of late filing: Updated penalty rates
This is the section that businesses need to pay special attention to in order to understand the importance of complying with the 2025 financial reporting deadline.
How to calculate late payment penalties according to Tax Law 56/2024/QH15
Effective from January 1, 2025, Clause 7, Article 6 of Law No. 56/2024/QH15 (amending Article 59 of the Law on Tax Administration) stipulates specifically:
- For late payment, according to Tax Law 56/2024/QH15, the fee is 0.031 TP3T/day.
- Calculation period: This period is calculated continuously from the day following the tax payment deadline to the day immediately preceding the day the taxpayer pays the tax into the State budget.
Administrative penalties for late submission of financial statements.
Violations of the 2025 financial reporting deadline not only result in late tax payments but also in administrative penalties according to the Decree on Penalties in the field of accounting:
- Fines ranging from VND 5,000,000 to VND 10,000,000 for late submission of financial statements by less than 3 months.
- Fines ranging from VND 10,000,000 to VND 20,000,000 will be imposed for: late submission of financial statements for 3 months or more, submission of incomplete audit reports (for businesses requiring them), or incomplete disclosure of financial statements.
- Fines ranging from VND 40,000,000 to VND 50,000,000: Failure to submit financial reports to the competent state authority.
- Fines ranging from VND 20,000,000 to VND 30,000,000: Inaccurate or untrue figures in financial statements.
Note: In addition to being fined, the business is required to take corrective measures such as submitting complete financial statements and publicly disclosing them in accordance with regulations.
Tips for accountants to meet the 2025 financial reporting deadline.
To safely "reach the finish line" in March 2026, accountants need to implement a rigorous verification process:
- Verification: Ensure that the balances in the general ledger completely match the detailed ledgers and customer and supplier accounts receivable and payable reconciliation statements.
- Invoice review: Verify the validity of all input and output invoices for 2025. Eliminate risky invoices to avoid having to make adjustments after the 2025 financial reporting deadline.
- Provisioning: Fully implement all accounting entries for provisions for bad debts and inventory devaluation in accordance with current accounting regulations.
- Digitally sign and submit early: A crucial lesson learned is that you shouldn't wait until March 31, 2026 to submit. The e-Tax system frequently experiences network congestion due to excessive traffic, which could unfortunately cause you to miss the deadline for submitting your 2025 financial statements.
Summary of key deadlines in March 2026
To help accountants and business owners keep track of the timeline, here is a summary of the "must-do" deadlines for the month:
| File Type | Duration | Legal basis |
| VAT and Personal Income Tax Declaration and Payment Form (February 2026) | 20/03/2026 | Law on Tax Administration 38/2019/QH14 |
| Financial report for 2025 | 31/03/2026 | Accounting Law 88/2015/QH13 and Circular 24/2024.TT-BTC |
| Corporate income tax and personal income tax settlement for 2025 | 31/03/2026 | Law on Tax Administration 38/2019/QH14 |
| Personal income tax settlement for 2025 | 04/05/2026 | Law on Tax Administration 38/2019/QH14 |
Note: Since April 30th and May 1st are public holidays, the deadline may be moved to the next working day as per regulations.
Conclude
The March 2026 tax filing season is not simply an administrative procedure, but a comprehensive "test" of a company's financial and accounting management capabilities. Complying with the deadline for submitting 2025 financial reports will help businesses avoid the risks of late payment penalties, administrative fines, and long-term legal consequences.
Proactively reviewing data, completing settlements early, and submitting documents before the deadline is the best way to reduce pressure during the peak March season. If your business doesn't have a well-resourced accounting department or you want to ensure your documents are accurate from the start, you can refer to the following suggestions. full accounting service To receive comprehensive support from bookkeeping to preparing and submitting reports on time.
Preparing early today is the foundation for stable operation and sustainable growth of the business in 2026.
Contact information MAN – Master Accountant Network
- Address: No. 19A, Street 43, Tan Thuan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
- Mobile/Zalo: 0903 963 163 – 0903 428 622
- Email: man@man.net.vn
Content production by: Mr. Le Hoang Tuyen – Founder & CEO MAN – Master Accountant Network, Vietnamese CPA Auditor with over 30 years of experience in Accounting, Auditing and Financial Consulting.
