The last day for filing income tax returns (ITR) for the financial year 2024-25 (assessment year 2025-26) is September 15.
Put across by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), this replaced the earlier window which allowed submissions only till July 31, in order to accommodate structural changes and utility rollout delays.
Additionally, taxpayers whose accounts require an audit must still file by September 30, 2025, as that deadline remains unchanged.
Taxpayers are advised to abide by this time frame to avoid interest penalties.
A penalty of ₹5,000 (if income exceeds ₹5 lakh) and ₹1,000 would be issued for lower income groups under Section 234F, in case of delay of filing income tax returns.
Belated or revised returns can be filed till December 31, 2025, and updated returns (ITR-U) can be filed till March 31, 2030.
Also read : ITR filing 2025 last date extended | All you need to know
The extension comes after alleged delays in the availability of updated ITR forms and e-filing facilities on the Income Tax Department's portal. Apart from this, the late reflection of TDS data in Form 26AS and AIS also led to challenges for the taxpayers, who urged for extension to ensure precise filing, HT reported earlier.
{{/usCountry}}The extension comes after alleged delays in the availability of updated ITR forms and e-filing facilities on the Income Tax Department's portal. Apart from this, the late reflection of TDS data in Form 26AS and AIS also led to challenges for the taxpayers, who urged for extension to ensure precise filing, HT reported earlier.
{{/usCountry}}The deadline extension also leads to a positive reflection on the refund interests. Taxpayers who are due refunds may get up to 33 per cent higher interest under Section 244A. This is because the interest is accrued from April 1, despite the extension. This interest is taxable and must be reported in the ITR.
Also read | Here's how to file your ITR this year: Read stepwise guide
Meanwhile, the Income Tax Department of India has offered an Excel-based offline utility for filing Income Tax Return-1 (Sahaj) and Income Tax Return-4 (Sugam) for the assessment year 2025-26, i.e the financial year 2024-25.
Under this newly introduced utility, employees, pensioners, freelancers, and small business owners will be able to validate their returns by creating a JSON file, uploading to the e-filing portal, and hence, prepare their income tax returns, even without internet access.