An Income Tax Return (ITR) is a form that taxpayers submit to the Income Tax Department of India to report their income, deductions, and taxes paid during a financial year. Each ITR is filed for a specific financial year that runs from 1st April to 31st March of the following year.
ITR Filing Status Till August 25, 2025
With just 21 days left before the ITR filing deadline, the number of returns filed for Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26 is still much lower than expected.
As per the Income Tax Department’s data:
- Total ITRs Filed: 3,67,94,801
- ITRs Verified: 3,54,25,015
- ITRs Processed: 2,29,72,011
In comparison, more than 9 crore returns were filed last year for Financial Year (FY) 2023-24. This shows that less than half of taxpayers have filed their returns so far this year.
Revised ITR Filing Deadlines for AY 2025-26
To provide relief to taxpayers, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the due date for filing ITRs for AY 2025-26:
- For taxpayers not requiring an audit:
New due date: 15th September 2025 (previously 31st July 2025)
This applies mainly to salaried individuals and small taxpayers. - For taxpayers requiring an audit:
Due date remains: 31st October 2025
Why the ITR Filing Deadline Was Extended
The CBDT extended the due date to give taxpayers sufficient time to adjust to the changes in the ITR forms and ensure accurate filing.
The key reasons behind the extension are:
- Changes in ITR structure and content to make filing easier and more transparent.
- Time needed to update and test the new ITR utilities on the Income Tax portal.
- Delayed reflection of TDS credits, as TDS statements (filed by 31st May 2025) are usually available only in early June.
- Stakeholder requests for more time to complete filings without errors.
Important Points for Taxpayers
- File your ITR for AY 2025-26 by 15th September 2025 if your accounts do not require an audit.
- If an audit is required, your deadline remains 31st October 2025.
- Filing early helps avoid last-minute portal issues and ensures timely refunds.
- Always use the latest ITR utilities for accurate and error-free filing.
Conclusion
The extended deadline gives taxpayers extra time to understand the updated ITR forms and complete the filing process smoothly. However, waiting until the last moment can cause unnecessary delays and complications. It’s advisable to file your ITR well before the due date to avoid penalties and ensure faster processing.
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Disclaimer: Aim of this article is to give basic knowledge about the topic to people who are not in touch with Indian tax norms. When anybody is dealing with these kinds of cases practically, he shall consider all relevant provisions of all applicable Laws like FEMA/Income Tax/RBI /Companies Act etc.