ITR due date: If you have not yet filed your Income Tax Return (ITR), the window to do so without paying penalties is closing soon. The deadline affects most taxpayers, including salaried employees, pensioners, and small businesses that do not require audits. Missing it can attract financial penalties and limit certain tax benefits.
The date was earlier extended from July 31, but the window now closes tonight (September 15). Missing the deadline can attract financial penalties and limit certain tax benefits.
Fake News Alert: No Extension to September 30
A document circulating on social media claimed that the due date for filing ITRs (originally July 31, 2025, later extended to September 15, 2025) has been further extended to September 30, 2025.
The Income Tax Department dismissed these reports in a post on X (formerly Twitter), saying no such development has taken place and the ITR deadline remains the same.
“A fake news is in circulation stating that the due (date) of filing ITRs (originally due on 31.07.2025, and extended to 15.09.2025) has been further extended to 30.09.2025. The due date for filing ITRs remains 15.09.2025. Taxpayers are advised to rely only on official @IncomeTaxIndia updates. To assist taxpayers for ITR filing, tax payment and other related services, our helpdesk is functioning on a 24×7 basis, and we are providing support through calls, live chats, WebEx sessions & Twitter/X.”
Penalties and Other Consequences
If you fail to file your ITR by September 15, 2025, you still have until December 31, 2025, to submit a belated return for the fiscal year 2024–2025, but with a Rs 5,000 penalty. However, missing even the belated deadline could lead to legal complications, including prosecution.
Late filing also restricts certain benefits. Belated filers cannot carry forward some losses, such as capital or business losses, to future years. They may also lose eligibility for specific exemptions and deductions.
Another drawback is that taxpayers cannot switch between the old and new tax regimes once the deadline passes.