DPT-3: Applicability, Due Date (30 June) and What to Report
Short answer: Form DPT-3 is the return of deposits that a company files with the Registrar on or before 30 June every year, with figures as on 31 March, audited by the company's auditor (rule 16 of the Companies (Acceptance of Deposits) Rules, 2014). It reports both deposits and "particulars of transaction not considered as deposit": money a company received that the rules exclude from the definition of deposit, such as a loan from a director. It applies to every company except banking companies, registered NBFCs, registered housing finance companies, notified companies and Government companies.
Who must file DPT-3
- Covered: every company to which the Deposit Rules apply. Rule 1(3) excludes banking companies, NBFCs registered with RBI, housing finance companies registered with the National Housing Bank, and companies notified under the proviso to section 73(1).
- Government companies are excluded from DPT-3 by the Explanation to rule 16.
- Private companies are included. Most private companies do not take deposits, but many have exempt receipts (loans from directors, from other companies, or advances from customers), and those are reported in DPT-3 as transactions not considered as deposits.
The rule is worded for "every company to which these rules apply". Many professionals take the view that a company with no deposits and no such exempt amounts outstanding on 31 March has nothing to report. If that is your case, confirm it with your Company Secretary before deciding not to file.
What counts as "not a deposit"
Rule 2(1)(c) of the Deposit Rules defines deposit widely, as any money received by way of deposit or loan, and then lists exclusions. The ones private companies meet most often:
| Receipt | Excluded by |
|---|---|
| Loan from a bank or notified financial institution | Rule 2(1)(c)(iii) and (iv) |
| Money received from another company | Rule 2(1)(c)(vi) |
| Share application money, allotted within the permitted time | Rule 2(1)(c)(vii) |
| Money from a director, or for a private company from a relative of a director, with a written declaration that it is not borrowed money | Rule 2(1)(c)(viii) |
| Advance for supply of goods or services, adjusted within 365 days | Rule 2(1)(c)(xii)(a) |
| Security deposit for performance of a supply contract | Rule 2(1)(c)(xii)(c) |
Money from an LLP or a partnership firm is not in the list. A loan from one of them is a deposit unless another exclusion applies, so check before accepting it.
Due date and audit
- Due date: on or before 30 June every year.
- Data as on: 31 March of that year.
- Audit: the information must be audited by the company's auditor, and since the 2022 amendment the auditor's declaration is part of DPT-3. So finalise the year-end balances with the auditor before 30 June.
Late filing
DPT-3 filed after 30 June attracts an additional fee under the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014, which rises with the delay. Not filing also breaches the Deposit Rules, so do not leave it for the annual-filing season.
How DPT-3 fits the compliance year
DPT-3 sits between the 31 March year-end and the AGM filings (AOC-4 and MGT-7/7A). See the annual compliance checklist and the annual compliance problems page. Private companies also have a separate exemption on accepting money from members under section 73(2); it is covered on our private company exemptions page.