Income Tax Return filing deadline for AY 2026-27: With just 17 more days to go for the last date to file tax returns for the assessment year 2026-27 (financial year 2024-25), chartered accountants are urging the Income Tax Department to extend the deadline further. The Chandigarh Chartered Taxation Association (CCATAX) has reportedly requested the tax department to give some additional time for ITR filing and tax audit for FY2024-25.
The central government in May this year announced extending the tax return filing due date to September 15 from July 31, 2025. Remember, the deadline was extended only for individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), and others whose accounts do not need auditing.
Now, the CCATAX has reportedly asked for another deadline extension, citing technical glitches, data mismatch between AIS and Form 26AS, server crash, session timeouts and other issues.
Why did govt extend the ITR filing deadline in May?
After extending the ITR filing deadline in May, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in light of several practical challenges, including the delayed release of ITR forms, late availability of utilities on the portal, and issues related to TDS reconciliation and Form 26AS/TIS mismatches.
How many ITRs have been filed so far in AY 2025-26?
As of August 28, 2025, over 3.90 crore income tax returns (ITRs) were filed and more than 3.72 crore tax returns were verified. The total number of returns processed stands at nearly 2.47 crore, according to the latest data updated on the Income Tax Department portal.
However, there are still more than 5 crore taxpayers expected to file their income tax returns in FY 2025-26, if we go by the last assessment year data. Over 9.1 crore income tax returns were filed for the financial year 2024-25. So keeping in view last fiscal year’s tax return filing numbers, not even 50% target is reached.
Visible lag in the return filing process
Yes, there is a visible lag in the filing process this year due to some obvious reasons. The tax filing season kicked off almost with a two-month delay because of late rolling out of ITR forms and corresponding utilities by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Now when the deadline is approaching, taxpayers are allegedly facing a number of other technical issues.
Dinkar Sharma, Company Secretary and Partner, Jotwani Associates, says “This slow pace raises legitimate concerns. Several factors are contributing to this delay: persistent technical glitches on the income tax portal, the increased complexity of the new ITR formats, delays in salary and TDS-related documentation, and the current overlap with the festival and audit preparation season.”
Will the I-T department yield to taxpayers, professionals’ demand for ITR due date extension?
Given these challenges, there is growing pressure on the government from various quarters, including professional bodies, industry associations (such as the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry), and tax practitioners, to extend the deadline further.
These representations are not only grounded in operational difficulties but also seek to ensure quality and accuracy in compliance, especially for small businesses and salaried individuals who are struggling with data mismatches and portal responsiveness, Sharma added.
That said, as of today, there is no official indication from the government or CBDT that the deadline will be extended again beyond September 15, Sharma said, adding that any such decision would require a formal notification or circular from the CBDT, which has not yet been issued.
In view of the current situation, where a significant volume of returns is yet to be filed, and stakeholders continue to report systemic challenges, the possibility of a further extension cannot be ruled out, Sharma opined. “Historically, the government has been responsive to genuine hardship and bottlenecks, especially when technology-related disruptions or systemic readiness are cited as reasons for non-compliance”.
Deadline extension will depend on next 10-15 days progress
“The likelihood of an extension will depend on how the next 10–15 days unfold,” Sharma feels. If filing volumes remain well below normal trends and the portal continues to experience instability, the government may decide to provide additional time, he said. The CBDT typically monitors filing patterns closely in the final weeks and weighs them against capacity and technical efficiency before making such decisions, Sharma noted.
Summing up…
However, it is equally important to understand that filing deadlines are policy-driven and not purely administrative decisions.
The government is also under pressure to avoid cascading delays across the compliance calendar, including advance tax payments, audit deadlines, and GST-related filings. Extending the ITR deadline further could compress timelines for several interrelated statutory obligations.