ITR Filing Deadline Big Update: Is Modi government planning to extend the deadline? Here’s what we know so far

As per the Income Tax Department’s portal, out of a total of 13.35 crore registered users, only 4.89 crore have filed their ITRs as of September 7.

New Delhi: The deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITR) is September 15, but portal glitches and the slow pace of filing have left people anxious. This has also sparked the question of whether the government will extend the due date. As per the Income Tax Department’s portal, out of a total of 13.35 crore registered users, only 4.89 crore have filed their ITRs as of September 7. Of these, 4.63 crore returns have been verified, while only 3.35 crore have been processed.

It is important to note that several business and professional organizations in the country have appealed to the CBDT to extend the deadline. They said the portal frequently becomes slow, there are difficulties in logging in, and sometimes the system shuts down automatically, causing them multiple problems.

Here are some of the key details:

• Several business and professional organizations in the country have appealed to the CBDT to extend the deadline.
• The Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) and CAAS said that this year the ITR software was released late, making compliance extremely difficult.
• BCAS (Bombay Chartered Accountants Society) has also written a letter demanding an extension of the deadlines for ITR filing, tax audits, and transfer pricing.
• The country’s Tax Bar Association said that if there are discrepancies in financial information, it will be difficult to file accurate returns.

What are the complaints?

• Errors in AIS, TIS, and Form 26AS on the portal
• Financial data not being accurate
• More paperwork due to new rules
• Portal being slow and login failures during peak time

Notably, the current deadline to file the ITR is September 15, and it applies only to those who are not required to undergo an audit. However, the slow pace of filing and persistent technical glitches have left taxpayers stressed. Now, all eyes are on the CBDT to see whether last-minute relief will be provided or if the deadline will remain unchanged.