The Income Tax Return filing for Assessment Year 2025-26 officially commenced on May 30, 2025.
Despite a delayed start compared to previous years, the filing process has seen an encouraging response with over 54,000 returns filed in just the initial 3 days. This surge reflects early engagement by taxpayers who are actively participating in this year's ITR filing season.
This year, the filing process began later than the usual April 1 start date due to significant updates in the ITR forms and essential backend system improvements by the Income Tax Department. The release of Excel-based utilities for ITR-1 and ITR-4 on May 30 enabled eligible taxpayers, including salaried individuals and small business owners, to begin submitting their returns promptly.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes announced an extension of the ITR filing deadline from July 31 to September 15, 2025, for non-audit cases. This extension was introduced to accommodate the recent changes in ITR forms, allow completion of ongoing technical upgrades, and ensure accurate reflection of tax deducted at source credits and other taxpayer information.
Taxpayers who submit their returns by the new deadline of September 15 will avoid late fees under Section 234F and interest charges under Section 234A. Although returns can still be filed after this date until December 31, 2025, filings made post the extended deadline will attract penalties. This information is crucial for taxpayers to plan their submission accordingly.
Read More: ITR Filing 2025: Tax Savings on Health Insurance Premiums.
Financial experts emphasise the importance of verifying income details, tax deducted at source credits, and other information before filing the ITR. It is suggested that taxpayers review their Form 26AS and Annual Information Statement to reconcile any discrepancies. Early filing without complete data can result in mismatches or tax notices.
The strong response to the ITR filing for AY 2025-26 during the first three days highlights increased taxpayer awareness and readiness. With the extended deadline in place, taxpayers have additional time to prepare accurate returns. The updates in filing systems and forms mark a significant step in streamlining the income tax return process for this assessment year.
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Published on: Jun 4, 2025, 3:26 PM IST
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