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Govt will not extend Dec 31 deadline for filing I-T returns: Revenue Secretary
Even as the filing will continue till Friday midnight, the ITR numbers have already crossed 5.62 crore by Friday afternoon as compared 4.93 crore figure achieved on December 31, 2020.
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The Union finance ministry on Friday said the last date for filing income-tax returns is December 31, 2021 and it will not be extended further due to the rising cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 as the entire process is online and has so far generated huge taxpayers’ response.
“There is absolutely no proposal to extend the date,” Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj said. The extended deadline for filing income tax returns by individuals will end on Friday midnight.
Bajaj said the number of income-tax returns (ITRs) filed this year is considerably higher compared to last year, signifying a smooth filing process; hence there is no reason for extending the deadline.
“Look the ITR return filing is going on very smoothly. Let me tell you, by 3 pm [on Friday] 5.62 crore returns have already been filed in total, and today itself people have filed more than 20 lakh returns, which is the highest. And in the last one hour 3.44 lakh returns have been filed. So, if returns are being filed in such numbers, I see no reason for anybody to claim [missing deadline for technical reasons],” he said.
He compared return filings this year with the previous year to prove the point that the system is efficient and several people have already met the deadline. “Last year, [as] on 30th of December, 4.83 crore returns were filed this year 5.43 [crore] returns have been filed. So, 60 lakh more returns have been filed on the same [period] as compared to the last year when the last year also the closing date was the same,” he said.
Even as the filing will continue till Friday midnight, the ITR numbers have already crossed 5.62 crore by Friday afternoon as compared 4.93 crore figure achieved on December 31, 2020, he said.
“I expect another at least 20-25 lakh returns to come by 12 in the night. And, I think, the figures that we are anticipating would have come... The return filing is going on very smoothly. There is absolutely no proposal to extend the date. And I’m sure, through this message the other people [those who have not yet filed returns] also would now be filing their returns,” he said.
On a question that some people may have faced difficulties in filing their returns due to the latest spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, Bajaj said: “You tell me, ... how is Omicron stopping you?... You have to sit on your laptop to file the return. Your chartered accountant also has to do that. What is the reason that we are asking?” he said.
“I am also OK if the returns are less by 1 crore. The returns are not less by 1 crore. The returns are more than last year,” he added.
He said that there are no technical issues stopping people from filing returns. “I’m telling you, if there’s a technical glitch, I’m watching the figures every one hour. So the figures are going up to 2 lakh, 2.5 lakh, 3 lakhs, 3.5 lakh. Where are these numbers coming from?” he said.
