The Income Tax Department has extended the due date for filing Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for the Assessment Year 2025-26 by one day, making the new deadline September 16, 2025. This extension follows significant technical glitches on the e-filing portal that disrupted filings on the last day, September 15.
Extension Details:
- Previous Deadline: September 15, 2025
- New Deadline: September 16, 2025
- Reason for Extension: Issues with the e-filing portal, including difficulty in uploading ITRs and tax payment problems.
ITR Filing Stats
A record 7.3 crore ITRs were filed by September 15, 2025, surpassing last year’s record of 7.28 crore ITRs. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has acknowledged this milestone and thanked taxpayers and professionals for their compliance.
Despite previous instructions to clear browser caches or use different browsers, many users still faced issues accessing the portal on September 15, 2025. These issues included:
- Difficulty in uploading ITRs
- Problems with tax payments
- Inability to access the Annual Information Statement (AIS)
As a result, the CBDT announced that the portal would remain in maintenance mode between 12 AM and 2:30 AM on September 16, 2025, to facilitate further updates.
Original Deadline and Prior Extensions
The original deadline for ITR filings for individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), and those not requiring audited accounts was July 31, 2025, and it was first extended to September 15, 2025 due to structural and content revisions in the ITR forms. These changes required modifications to the filing utilities and backend systems.
Along with the ITR filing, September 15, 2025, was also the last day for advance tax payment for the second quarter of the financial year. This deadline has been slightly impacted by the technical issues, which have since been acknowledged by the department.
Department’s Response to Issues
Throughout the day on September 15, the Income Tax Department provided troubleshooting tips, including clearing browser caches or using alternate browsers to resolve portal access problems. They also encouraged users to report issues to the email addresses orm@cpc.incometax.gov.in or cmcpc_support@insight.gov.in if difficulties persisted.
ITR Filing Growth
The ITR filing numbers have seen consistent growth year-on-year:
- For Assessment Year 2024-25, 7.28 crore ITRs were filed, showing a 7.5% increase from 6.77 crore filings for AY 2023-24.
- For AY 2025-26, filings have already surpassed last year’s total, highlighting an increasing trend in taxpayer compliance.
For taxpayers who have yet to file, the final date for filing without penalty is now September 16, 2025.
