ITR deadline extension: Will taxpayers get more time before Sept 15? Here's what we know

With the September 15 deadline for filing income tax returns (ITRs) looming, calls for an extension are growing louder — and now, they’ve reached Parliament. Two senior BJP MPs, Bhartruhari Mahtab and PP Chaudhary, have written to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urging her to extend the filing deadline for ITRs and Tax Audit Reports for Assessment Year 2025–26.

Mahtab, chairperson of the Finance Committee, cited a request from the All Odisha Tax Advocates Association (AOTAA), while Chaudhary forwarded concerns raised by the Tax Bar Association, Jodhpur. Their letters highlight widespread grievances among tax professionals about delayed release of ITR forms, glitches on the filing portal, and overall lack of time for accurate compliance.

The last extension was granted in May, when the government moved the deadline from July 31 to September 15, citing late release of updated utilities and operational preparedness. But professional bodies say the relief came too late. Key forms like ITR-2 and ITR-3 were only made available in July, while ITR-5, ITR-6 and ITR-7 were released in August — leaving taxpayers with little time to prepare and file correctly.

Multiple associations, including the Karnataka State Chartered Accountants Association (KSCAA), Advocates Tax Bar Association (ATBA), and Central India Regional Council (CIRC) of ICAI, have also made similar pleas.

The Income Tax Department reported that as of September 8, only 4.89 crore ITRs had been filed — well short of the 7.28 crore filed by July 31 last year. That suggests millions are still scrambling to file.

Experts warn against waiting for a last-minute extension. “Filing closer to the deadline increases interest on self-assessment tax and delays refunds,” said Sujit Bangar of Taxbuddy.com. Technical issues are also expected to worsen as portal traffic surges.

Taxpayers missing the September 15 deadline still have until December 31 to file a belated return, but certain benefits — like carrying forward losses — won’t be available after the due date.

“Treat the extension as a buffer, not a deadline,” said Himank Singla of SBHS & Associates. “Filing early ensures peace of mind and saves unnecessary interest outgo.”