56 and 57 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Form No. 56 is the Master File: the form in which a constituent entity of an international group furnishes group-level information and documents to the Indian tax authority. Form No. 57 is the short intimation that lets the group choose one entity to file it for all. This guide explains both as printed in the Income-tax Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 198(E), notified on 20 March 2026), read with the amending notifications issued up to 22 September 2026.
Rule 123(2) says the information and document are furnished to the Joint Director referred to in rule 124(1), in Form No. 56, on or before the due date for furnishing the return of income specified under section 263(1)(c). The constituent entity must furnish Part A even if the conditions of sub-rule (1) are not met. Where several entities are required to file, any one may do so if the group designated it and Form No. 57 reached the Joint Director thirty days before the due date for Form No. 56.
The section and the rule
Section 171 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 requires a person who has entered into an international transaction or specified domestic transaction, or who is a constituent entity of an international group, to keep and maintain information and documents as prescribed. Under sub-section (4), every constituent entity must furnish that information and document to the authority prescribed under section 511(1), in the prescribed manner and by the prescribed date. "Constituent entity" and "international group" take their meaning from section 511(10). The post on sections 171 to 173 covers the section in full.
Rule 123 prescribes the manner. Its sub-rule (1) sets the conditions that trigger the obligation and the contents of the information; those are set out in rule 123 on the Master File and are not repeated here. This article takes from the rule only who furnishes the forms and when: sub-rule (2), sub-rule (3) and sub-rule (4). The "due date for furnishing the return of income specified under section 263(1)(c)" is a date in the Act, and this article does not give a calendar date for it.
If you are an Indian member of a multinational group, our tax planning advisory team can help you decide who in the group files, and when the intimation must reach the authority.
Form No. 56: what it asks
| Part | Rows | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| A: Particulars of the Person | 1 to 5 | Name, address, PAN, email ID, contact number |
| B: Other Information | 6 | The accounting year for which the information and document are submitted |
| B | 7 | Name and address of the international group of which the assessee is a constituent entity |
| B | 8 | Name, PAN and address of every constituent entity of the group operating in India (repeat if required) |
| B | 9 | Every constituent entity of the group: name, address, legal status, whether engaged in the development and management of intangible property, whether it legally owns the intangible property or group of intangible property, and the property or group (to be filled only where the answer on legal ownership is Yes) |
| B | 10 | Other details as a separate enclosure |
Corrigendum applied
The corrigendum to the Rules (G.S.R. 286(E)) substitutes, in Note 1 of Form No. 56, the words "constituent entity or group name" for "specified fund or stock broker". Note 1 therefore reads that the name shall include the full name of the person, the constituent entity or the group name.
Notes and annexures
Note 3 says column G of row 9 is filled only if the answer in column F is Yes. Note 4 lists the annexures to be provided with row 10:
| Annexure | Particulars |
|---|---|
| A-1 | Chart of the legal status of the constituent entity and the ownership structure of the entire international group |
| A-2 | Written description of the group's business during the accounting year under rule 123(1)(C): nature of business, important drivers of profit, supply chain for the five largest products or services by revenue and other products or services of more than five per cent of consolidated group revenue, important intra-group service arrangements other than research and development, capabilities of the main service providers, transfer pricing policies for service costs, major geographical markets, functions, assets and risks analysis of the constituent entities contributing at least ten per cent of revenues, assets or profits, and important business restructurings, acquisitions and divestments |
| A-3 to A-6 | Intangible property: the overall strategy for development, ownership and exploitation, with principal research and development facilities; important agreements including cost contribution arrangements, principal research service agreements and licence agreements; transfer pricing policies on research and development and intangibles; important transfers of interest in intangible property with parties and compensation |
| A-7 to A-9 | Financing: the financing arrangements with the top ten unrelated lenders; the group entities that provide central financing functions; the transfer pricing policies on financing among group entities |
| A-10 | A copy of the annual consolidated financial statement of the international group |
| A-11 | A list and brief description of the existing unilateral advance pricing agreements and other tax rulings on allocation of income among countries |
Notes 5 to 7 say the form is signed and verified by the person competent to verify the return of income under section 265, that some information is pre-filled, and that amounts are in rupees unless stated otherwise. The verification affirms that the information is true and correct as far as the signatory knows and that no relevant fact has been concealed, and the signatory gives the designation and PAN and states that he or she is competent to verify and submit.
Form No. 57: the designated constituent entity
Form No. 57, under rule 123(4), is the intimation by a designated constituent entity resident in India for the purposes of section 171(4).
| Part | Rows | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| A: Particulars of the Designated Constituent Entity | 1 to 5 | Name, address, PAN, email ID, contact number |
| B: Other Information | 6 to 8 | Name of the international group; name, address and country of residence of the parent entity; the accounting year for which the report is submitted |
The verification is the same as in Form No. 56, and Note 3 says the form is signed by the person competent to verify the return under section 265.
The three rules in practice
| Question | Answer from rule 123 |
|---|---|
| Who receives Form No. 56? | The Joint Director referred to in rule 124(1) |
| By when? | On or before the due date for furnishing the return of income specified under section 263(1)(c) |
| Part A where the conditions are not met? | Still to be furnished (sub-rule (3)) |
| Who files if there are several entities? | Any one, if the group designated it and Form No. 57 has been conveyed thirty days before the due date for Form No. 56 (sub-rule (4)) |
An example
Corvane Holdings is the parent of a group with two Indian constituent entities, Corvane Components India Private Limited and Corvane Services India Private Limited. The group designates the components company. That company files Form No. 57 with the Joint Director thirty days before the due date for Form No. 56, and then files Form No. 56 with Part A, the group chart as Annexure A-1 and the other annexures. The services company's Part A obligation is dealt with in the rule, which says a constituent entity furnishes Part A even if the conditions are not met.
Need help with a Master File?
The Master File draws on group-level data that rarely sits in the Indian entity. Our tax planning advisory team can help you plan who files, gather the annexures and meet the dates in rule 123.
Key takeaways
- Form No. 56 is the Master File under section 171(4) and rule 123; Form No. 57 is the intimation by the designated constituent entity.
- Form No. 56 goes to the Joint Director referred to in rule 124(1) by the due date for the return of income under section 263(1)(c).
- Part A is furnished even if the conditions in rule 123(1) are not satisfied.
- Form No. 57 must reach the Joint Director thirty days before the due date for Form No. 56.
- Annexures A-1 to A-11 carry the group chart, business description, intangibles, financing, consolidated statements and rulings.
Read next
- Rule 123: Master File, Forms 56 and 57
- Sections 171 to 173: transfer pricing documents, accountant's report and definitions
- Form Nos. 58, 59 and 60: Country-by-Country Report and intimations
- Form Nos. 52 and 54: annual compliance report and renewal of an APA
Disclaimer: Based on the Income-tax Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 198(E), notified on 20 March 2026), read with the amending notifications issued up to 22 September 2026, as consulted on 4 October 2026. It explains the words of the forms and rules only; later notifications, the forms and utilities on the e-filing portal, circulars and the way the tax authorities apply these provisions should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.