July 31 isn't your only deadline: 5 tax dates every taxpayer must track this month

Even though the ITR filing deadline for FY 2025-26 is July 31, 2026, taxpayers who have already filed should watch June 30 closely — it's the last date for the department to issue a scrutiny notice under Section 143(2).

A scrutiny notice does not mean a taxpayer has committed evasion or fraud. It simply indicates the department wants to verify specific details reported in the return — income, deductions, exemptions or tax credits.

Returns may be flagged if there's a mismatch with Form 26AS, AIS, TIS or bank records, or if they involve unusually large transactions, discrepancies in income reporting, or links to reassessment, search or survey proceedings.

Taxpayers can check a scrutiny notice through their registered email, postal address, or by logging into the Income Tax e-filing portal and navigating to Worklist > e-Proceedings.

Taxpayers can accept the observations and upload requested documents, or submit a response explaining disagreement. The portal then generates a transaction number confirming the submission was successful.

Ignoring a scrutiny notice can lead to additional tax demands, penalties, interest liability, or delays in processing your refund — making a timely response essential.

July 7 is the due date for depositing TDS for the April-June quarter where quarterly approval has been granted. July 15 brings reporting obligations for government offices, stock exchanges and intermediaries dealing with non-resident investors.

Tax deductors must file the challan-cum-statement for specified tax deductions made during June by July 30 — a critical step ahead of the month's biggest deadline the very next day.

Individuals filing ITR-1 and ITR-2 for AY 2026-27 must submit by July 31. The same date covers quarterly TDS/TCS returns, plus forms like 10E, 10BA, 10H, 10CCE and 10CCD. Missing it risks late fees and lost loss carry-forwards.