ITR filing deadline: With just around 30 hours remaining to file the income tax return (ITR) for AY 2025-26, the citizens are trying to make full use of the time and submit their ITR in due time to avoid any penalty. As of now, there is no response from the department on extending the deadline, which was set to September 15 from July 31. The I-T department has been reminding taxpayers to file the ITR in due time through various channels.
According to the latest data till September 13, a total of 6,29,95,670 returns have been filed for AY 2025-26, out of which, the department has successfully verified 5,79,84,477.
The I-T department has processed 3,88,86,255 verified ITRs (AY 2025-26). A total of 6 crore ITRs were filed till Friday (September 12)
How to File Income Tax Return – Complete ITR Guide
Key documents to keep ready for ITR
If you are also one who has not yet filed ITR or know someone who has not, it is essential to know which documents one would require to file the ITR. This checklist will help you save time and trouble while filing the income tax return.
Gather all the necessary documents in advance. These include Form-16, Form 26AS, AIS (Annual Information Statement), bank statement, interest certificate, investment and insurance premium receipts, PAN and Aadhaar card.
It is important to know which ITR form one has to fill as each form has its own conditions and eligibility. ITR-1 is for salaried and pensioners, whereas people with business or capital gains have to fill ITR-2 or ITR-3. There have been some new changes this year, such as ITR-1 can be chosen even if the LTCG is up to Rs 1.25 lakh.
Fill all the additional information asked in the new form. This can be the name and PAN details of the landlord for HRA claim, insurance policy number, PPF account number, name of the health insurance company etc. Leaving this information may lead to the rejection of the claim form.
Bank account pre-validation is another important part of the ITR filing. If one has to get a tax refund, then its payment will come in the same account which the person has pre-validated on the Income Tax portal. Many taxpayers ignore this step, due to which the refund may get stuck.
Submission is not the end of the ITR filing process as the taxpayers are required to mandatorily e-verify it. Without e-verification, the return will be considered incomplete. This is an easy process which is done through Aadhaar OTP, net banking, EVC or digital signature.
Users report trouble while filing ITR
A large number of taxpayers attempt to file ITR on the website in the last few days, leading to technical glitches at times. This year too, the users have been complaining of issues like response time, trouble in downloading Form 26AS and annual statements among others.
On Sunday, many users took to X urging the income tax department to extend the deadline beyond September 15. “@IncomeTaxIndia either extend due date of ITR and TAR or fix the portal properly…? Even on Sundays we are working after all the headaches of our clients what’s wrong with you…?” a user said on X.
Another said, “Income tax payment system is down. Tomorrow is the due date for advance tax installment. #extend_ITR_due_dates”
A user, who seemed to filing ITRs for many others, explained that past week has been tedious due to I-T website. “Everybody is working long hours for the past week. ITR website not working. Tax is not paid. Not a single return filed since morning. This is the case for the past 2 days.”
“How can crores of people file returns when the website is in this state?” the post read.