The Income Tax Department has cautioned taxpayers about a fake message circulating on social media and WhatsApp that falsely claims the ITR filing deadline has been extended to September 30.

ALSO READ

What is the truth? 

The official last date for filing Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for AY 2025–26 remains Monday, September 15, as announced earlier. No further extension has been notified.

Fake notice 

The forged circular, which even carried the CBDT’s name, misleadingly stated: “CBDT extends the due date of filing of ITRs which were due for filing by 15th September 2025.” The department has clarified this is completely false.

In the Income Tax Department’s advisory, taxpayers have been are urged to rely only on updates from the official handle IncomeTax India. Also a 24×7 helpdesk is available via calls, chats, WebEx sessions, and X/Twitter to assist filers.

What happens if you miss the 15 September deadline?

Penalty of 5,000 for incomes above Rs 5 lakh; Rs 1,000 for lower incomes (u/s 234F).

Belated or revised returns: Allowed until December 31, 2025.

Updated returns (ITR-U): Can be filed until March 31, 2030.

Interest: 1% per month on unpaid tax (u/s 234A).

Also, ITR filing isn’t enough, a e-verification within 30 days is mandatory to validate the return and secure refunds.

ALSO READ

Current ITR filing status

As of 13 September 2025, more than 6 crore ITRs have been filed for AY 2025-26, the department said, thanking taxpayers and professionals. For comparison, a record 7.28 crore ITRs were filed in AY 2024-25, reflecting India’s rising compliance and widening tax base.