Wrong ITR filing by CA firm saves taxpayer from ₹17.41 lakh penalty, ITAT gives relief

A Mumbai taxpayer has secured major relief from the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), which set aside a penalty of ₹ 17.41 lakh after accepting that a Chartered Accountant (CA) firm's filing mistake, not any deliberate attempt to evade taxes, had caused discrepancies in the taxpayer's revised Income Tax Return (ITR).

The case underscores the importance of documentary evidence and demonstrates that taxpayers may not be held liable for genuine professional errors when there is no mala fide intent.

Original and revised ITR 

The dispute relates to Assessment Year (AY) 2017-18. The taxpayer had initially filed an income tax return on November 28, 2017, declaring a loss of ₹ 1.59 lakh. However, a revised return filed on April 7, 2018, reported a substantially higher loss of ₹1.06 crore.

READ THIS: ITR filing last date July 31: Will the deadline be extended? Here’s what we know

The sharp increase in the reported loss raised red flags within the Income Tax Department, leading authorities to suspect under-reporting and misreporting of income. Consequently, the department initiated penalty proceedings under Section 270A of the Income Tax Act and imposed a penalty of ₹ 17.41 lakh.

Taxpayer blamed CA 

During the appellate proceedings, the taxpayer argued that the revised return did not reflect any intentional attempt to evade taxes. Instead, the discrepancy arose because the Chartered Accountant's office had inadvertently uploaded the wrong return while filing the revised ITR.

A key piece of evidence was an affidavit submitted by the owner of the CA firm, who accepted responsibility for the clerical error and confirmed that the incorrect return had been uploaded due to a genuine mistake.

ITAT accepted the affidavit 

After examining the facts and the affidavit, the Mumbai bench of the ITAT concluded that there was no evidence of deliberate tax evasion or mala fide intent on the taxpayer's part. The tribunal accepted the CA firm's admission as credible evidence and held that the filing error was inadvertent.

On this basis, the tribunal ruled that the penalty under Section 270A could not be sustained and granted relief to the taxpayer by quashing the ₹ 17.41 lakh penalty.

ALSO READ: ITR Filing 2026: Own a second home? Here's how to report it correctly and avoid costly tax mistakes

Taxpayers remain responsible

The decision highlights that while taxpayers remain responsible for their tax filings, courts and tribunals may distinguish between intentional tax misreporting and genuine professional or clerical mistakes, particularly when supported by strong documentary evidence such as affidavits and records.

The ruling also serves as a reminder for taxpayers to carefully review revised income tax returns before submission and maintain proper documentation in case disputes arise. At the same time, it reinforces the value of transparent admissions by tax professionals when genuine filing errors occur.