The Ministry of Finance has announced a second extension for Income Tax Return filing (ITR) deadline by a day, moving the deadline to September 16, 2025. This comes after numerous taxpayers and chartered accountants reported technical glitches, server timeouts, and other issues on the e-filing portal.
The Income Tax Department posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the ITR filing deadline for AY 2025-26, initially set for July 31, 2025, was first extended to September 15, 2025. It has now been further extended to September 16, 2025, with the e-filing portal under maintenance from 12:00 AM to 2:30 AM on that day.
With the ITR filing deadline nearing, the Income Tax Department reported that 13.43 crore taxpayers are registered on the e-filing portal, highlighting growing digital participation in tax compliance.
Over 7 crore income tax returns have been submitted so far this year. Of these, more than 6.03 crore are verified, and around 4 crore have already been processed, showing steady progress ahead of the deadline.
ITR filing is required for anyone whose income exceeds the basic exemption limit. Even those below it may file to get TDS refunds, carry forward losses, or show income for loans and visas. This includes salaried employees, professionals, small business owners, and investors with capital gains.
The applicable ITR form depends on your income type and amount. Salaried individuals earning up to ₹50 lakh use ITR 1, those with capital gains use ITR 2, while business or professional income above ₹50 lakh requires ITR 3. Smaller businesses or professionals under ₹50 lakh can file ITR 4.
Firms, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), Associations of Persons (AOPs), and Bodies of Individuals (BOIs) need ITR 5. Companies use ITR 6, and charitable trusts or similar entities file ITR 7. Each form ensures the correct reporting of income and compliance.
If taxpayers miss today’s deadline, they could be fined up to ₹5,000 (₹1,000 for those earning up to ₹5 lakh). They may also have to pay interest on any unpaid tax and face delays in getting refunds. This mainly affects salaried workers, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), and small businesses or professionals using the presumptive taxation scheme.
