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Published on:

September 10, 2025

Alankar Mishra

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ITR Filing Last Date for 2025: Will the Deadline Be Extended Again?

The clock is ticking on the Income Tax Returns (ITR) filing deadline for Assessment Year (AY) 2025–26, and once again, the burning question for every taxpayer is—will the deadline be extended? With lakhs of professionals and individuals scrambling to comply, the chatter regarding another possible extension has again begun to bubble.

The hashtag #Extend_Due_Date_Immediately is trending on social media, with thousands of taxpayers and Chartered Accountants (CAs) seeking relief. Meanwhile, professional bodies across India have written to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), citing numerous technical glitches and excessive compliance burdens. Yet the Finance Ministry has maintained its line to date, asserting that taxpayers must still comply with the September 15 deadline.

Current Deadlines for ITR Filing

The Income Tax Department has established independent deadlines for taxpayers to file any ITR according to the following categories:

‍1. Individual taxpayers (non-audited) - 15 September 2025.

‍2. Businesses and professionals mandatorily required to audit - 31 October 2025.

‍3. Taxpayers with transfer pricing reports - 30 November 2025.

Previously, in May 2025, the Centre had extended the deadline earlier for the non-audited from 31 July to 15 September. This was due to systemic changes in ITR forms and utilities. This gave an extended 46 days for the taxpayer to comply.

Why Taxpayers Want an Extension

Not long after the earlier relief, there are growing demands for further extension. Tax advisers and Industry Associations have identified many roadblocks:

1. Technical issues at the portal: Incorrect logins, erroneous validation, e-filing jams, errors, and dot matrix logger jams (a downloaded report to an Excel file) – continue to cause confusion and ruin the filing.

2. Differences between AIS vs Form 26AS: Taxpayers acknowledge the disparity of which datasets they should follow and which reporting is correct.

3. New ICAI audit report format: Accountants and taxpayers have increased workloads to comply with these changes.

4. Time limit: Taxpayers have a very short time limit and many are scrambling to complete their report.

5. Late release of ITR utilities: Forms/schemas are released later than in previous years and have reduced the available time to complete the report.

6. Professional body representations: Professional accountants' bodies such as BCAS (Bombay Chartered Accountants’ Society) FKCCI (Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industry) along with multiple tax bar associations have taken the extraordinary step of formally requesting the CBDT to extend the deadline.

So far, about 5 crore ITRs have been filed but almost 3 crore returns are still outstanding. The huge backlog of tax returns is leading to further calls for an extension.

Consequences of Missing the ITR Deadline

When taxpayers do not file by the due date and cannot obtain any further extension, the consequences can be severe:

1. Late fees: Up to ₹5,000 penalty under Section 234F.

2. Delayed refunds: Refund processing may take several months.

3. No carry forwards: Some business or capital losses may not be carried forward.

4. Interest penalties: Other liabilities under sections 234A, 234B, and 234C.

5. Prosecution risk: Intentionally not filing can be punishable by prosecution in extreme circumstances.

What’s Next?

As of now, the government has not made any official announcement about an extension. However, the ongoing pressure from CAs and industry groups suggests that a decision may happen in the next few days if the Finance Ministry decides.

For taxpayers, the best advice continues to be not to wait for the uncertainty of waiting on a last-minute extension to file your ITR, and file your ITR as early as possible, so you can avoid being penalised, the technical glitches, and the hassle of compliance.

Conclusion

The due date for ITR for AY 2025–26 is coming up fast, and the pressure is mounting from professionals and trade bodies to extend the deadline again, with no official communication so far from the government. Taxpayers should be aware that delays could incur penalties, refunds will be delayed, and they will lose important benefits. So rather than sit back and wait for a last-minute announcement, it will be wise to complete the filing process as soon as possible. Timely compliance does mean less anxiety, as well as taxes being managed appropriately and peace of mind.

Timeliness is a virtue, given that tax filing helps avoid penalties, delay in refunds, and worries about compliance. While the hashtags #Extend_Due_Date_Immediately might be trending, the smart choice for taxpayers is to file their ITR right now, rather than wait and find themselves caught up in the penalties associated with tardy filings.

FAQs

Q1. What is the last date to file ITR for AY 2025–26?

Non-audit individuals have until 15 September 2025, while businesses subject to audits need to file by 31 October 2025, and taxpayers who are required to file transfer pricing reports have until 30 November 2025.

Q2. Has the government extended the ITR deadline this year?

As reported, the government extended the last date for the filing of non-audit individuals' ITR filings from 31 July 2025 to 15 September 2025, but has not issued any further extensions.

Q3. Why are taxpayers demanding another extension?

There are issues being experienced by CAs and taxpayers that include technical glitches on the portal, mismatches in AIS vs Form 26AS, and new audit report formats that have caused requests for extension.

Q4. What happens if I don’t file my ITR on time?

You could be subject to penalties of up to ₹5,000, delays in processing refunds, inability to set off unutilized losses to the next financial year(s) and in the worst-case scenarios, prosecution if you file late.

Q5. How many returns have been filed so far for AY 2025–26?

As of September 2025, there are presently over 5 crores of returns filed, but still around 3 crores of ITRs yet to be filed for the financial year.

Q6. Should I wait for another extension before filing?

It is not advisable to wait. The government has not made any official announcement. To mitigate the last-minute rush on filing, the technical glitches, and avoid penalties, you should lodge your ITR as early as possible.

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