Income Tax: The last date to file an income tax return is 15 September 2025. So far, only five crore returns have been filed across India, reveals the latest data of the Income Tax (I-T) department as on 8 September.
Out of these, 4.72 crore returns are verified, and 3.39 crore returns processed. Last year, a total of 7.28 crore ITRs were filed until the last date.
However, some experts want the tax filing deadline to be extended. They argue that the excel utilities of most income tax forms were released quite late, thereby offering inadequate time to file the returns. The online utilities of ITR-1 and ITR were released on 4 June. The ITR-2 online utility was released on 17 July, and the ITR-3 utility was released on 30 July.
| Date | Tax return form released |
|---|---|
| 29 May 2025 | ITR-1 and ITR-4 excel utilities released |
| 4 June 2025 | ITR-1 and ITR-4 online utilities released |
| 11 July 2025 | ITR-2 and ITR-3 excel utilities released |
| 17 July 2025 | ITR-2 online utility released |
| 30 July 2025 | ITR-3 offline and online utility |
| 8 Aug 2025 | ITR-5 excel utility released |
| 14 Aug 2025 | ITR-6 excel utility released |
(Source: incometax.gov.in)
Problems galore
A number of taxpayers have expressed their anguish at not being able to file their return on time for various reasons. One RK Chatterjee wrote on X that the AIS (Annual Information Statement) is not accessible on the e-filing portal. “Every year, as the filing deadline approaches, the AIS portal starts its usual drama — blank screens, login issues, zero access. Taxpayers are left helpless at crunch time,” he wrote.
CA Pratibha Goyal, meanwhile, told Livemint that some CAs are demanding an extension for several reasons. “These include late release of ITR utilities, issues relating to the income tax portal, and clash of dates with the deadline for audit (Sept 30),” she says.
Another CA Sanjay Ramavat, also made the same complaint by writing that AIS, TIS are not accessible.
One user, Mathew Dsouza, satirically wrote that if the I-T department can’t extend the due date despite their own delays, why do they need 1+ year to process returns?
Another user that goes by the name of RS & company also requested the department to kindly extend the due date immediately by citing pathetic site performance.
One chartered accountant, Nitin Kaushik, cited multiple reasons as a reason for the extension, from the late release of forms to the floods. “If the government doesn’t provide an extension for tax filings this year (late forms, portal glitches, flood everywhere). I would have no hope left for professionals,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, some believe that is unlikely that an extension would be given since only one week is left before the deadline ends on 15 September.
“With the delayed release of ITR-2 and 3 utilities and new compliance checks adding hurdles, extension of the due date to 15th September has provided much-needed relief for non-audit taxpayers. However, with barely a week left and no certainty of a further extension, taxpayers should not postpone filing. Early compliance helps avoid interest, late fees, and secures the option to switch tax regimes in non-business cases—potentially reducing substantial tax liability,” says O P Yadav, Tax Evangelist, Prosperr and Former Principal Commissioner (Income-Tax).
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