- By Shivangi Sharma
- Tue, 27 May 2025 06:14 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a major relief for taxpayers, the Income Tax Department has extended the due date for filing income tax returns (ITR) for the financial year 2024-25 (assessment year 2025-26). The earlier deadline of July 31, 2025, has now been shifted to September 15, 2025. This decision comes amid delays in the issuance of ITR forms and the unavailability of return-filing utilities on the income tax portal.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) stated that the ITR forms for AY 2025-26 have undergone extensive structural and content revisions aimed at simplifying the filing process, improving transparency, and enabling accurate income reporting. Due to these substantial changes, additional time is required to develop, integrate, and test the corresponding utilities and backend systems.
Kind Attention Taxpayers!
— Income Tax India (@IncomeTaxIndia) May 27, 2025
CBDT has decided to extend the due date of filing of ITRs, which are due for filing by 31st July 2025, to 15th September 2025
This extension will provide more time due to significant revisions in ITR forms, system development needs, and TDS credit… pic.twitter.com/MggvjvEiOP
According to CBDT’s official release on May 27, 2025, “To facilitate a smooth and convenient filing experience for taxpayers, it has been decided that the due date for filing ITR, originally due on July 31, is extended to September 15, 2025.”
Delay in Utility Release Sparks Concerns
The move follows widespread concern among tax professionals and chartered accountants, many of whom took to social media to express frustration over the delay in the rollout of return-filing software. The I-T department has yet to release the essential utilities needed to begin the filing process, leaving taxpayers without a functional platform to submit their returns.
Credits from TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) statements, required to be filed by May 31, 2025, are only expected to begin reflecting from early June. This shortens the effective filing window, making the extension necessary.
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Who Benefits from the Extension?
The extended deadline primarily benefits individual taxpayers and entities not requiring an audit, who are otherwise required to file their ITRs by July 31 each year. This includes salaried individuals, freelancers, small business owners, and pensioners. The CBDT is expected to issue a formal notification of the revised due date shortly.