New Delhi, Sept 15: The government on Monday extended the deadline for filing income tax returns (ITRs) for Assessment Year 2025-26 by a day to September 16, after heavy traffic and technical glitches disrupted filings on the original last date.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said a record 7.3 crore ITRs were filed till September 15, surpassing last year’s 7.28 crore. “To facilitate further filings of ITRs, the due date has been extended by one day,” CBDT announced on X.
Taxpayers reported repeated difficulties in accessing the e-filing portal, paying advance tax, and downloading the Annual Information Statement (AIS). Several chartered accountants and individuals flagged issues on social media, with complaints ranging from login failures to failed transactions.
The Income Tax Department advised users to clear browser cache or switch browsers, and also issued a step-by-step guide to resolve local access problems. Despite this, glitches persisted, prompting the one-day extension. The department also shared dedicated email IDs for users to report unresolved issues.
Earlier, the government had already extended the ITR deadline for non-audit cases from July 31 to September 15, citing changes in return forms that required back-end system updates. On September 15, the CBDT said the e-filing portal would remain in maintenance mode from 12 a.m. to 2.30 a.m. on September 16 to enable changes in utilities.
ITR filings have steadily risen in recent years. For AY 2024-25, 7.28 crore returns were filed by July 31, compared to 6.77 crore in AY 2023-24, marking a 7.5% year-on-year growth. (Agencies)
