The ITR filing deadline for the financial year 2024-25, which corresponds to the assessment year 2025-26, has been set for September 15, 2025. Usually, the due date to file ITR is July 31 of every year. However, this year the Income Tax Department decided to give taxpayers some extra time. The main reason was that new changes were introduced in the ITR forms and the Excel-based utilities, which required additional backend preparations before the system could be made fully ready for public use.
This extension applies to non-audit taxpayers, which include most individual taxpayers, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), and entities that are not required to get their accounts audited. For these categories, the new deadline is now September 15, instead of the usual July 31.
Will there be another extension?
At present, there is no official announcement that the deadline will be extended again. The Income Tax Department has already given an extension, and as of now, taxpayers are expected to finish their filings by the September 15 deadline.
That said, several professional bodies have raised concerns. The Karnataka State Chartered Accountants Association (KSCAA), the Advocates Tax Bar Association (ATBA), and the Central India Regional Council (CIRC) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) have all written to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asking for more time. Their main complaint is that the e-filing portal has been facing glitches, which makes it harder for taxpayers and professionals to complete the filing process smoothly.
The ICAI and ATBA have specifically asked the government to extend both the ITR filing and the tax audit deadlines. The ATBA suggested that the deadline for non-audit taxpayers should be pushed further to October 15, 2025, while the deadline for submitting the tax audit report should be moved to November 30, 2025.
According to Alay Razvi, Managing Partner at Accord Juris, the earlier extension to September 15 was indeed a welcome relief. “However, with ITR utilities being released only recently and businesses simultaneously dealing with GST changes and reconciliations, taxpayers and professionals continue to face immense pressure. Additional time is urgently needed to ensure accuracy and avoid errors, and extending the deadline till 30 September 2025 would provide much-needed relief” Razvi was quoted by The Economic Times as saying.
Razvi also added that such an extension should not be seen as a luxury but as a genuine necessity. A short, practical extension would prevent errors, reduce the risk of penalties, and build trust between taxpayers and the administration.
Late filing penalties
Taxpayers should also remember that if they miss the deadline, they will have to pay a penalty. The late filing fee is Rs 5,000 in general. For those whose total income is below Rs 5 lakh, the fee is limited to Rs 1,000. Apart from this penalty, if any tax is still unpaid, there will also be an interest charge of 1% per month on the outstanding tax amount. This interest is separate from the penalty.