With the beginning of August, a big question has come up for crores of taxpayers in the country — will the deadline for filing Income Tax Return (ITR) be extended this year too? For the past few days, there has been talk on social media and among experts and tax consultants about whether the government will extend the ITR filing date or if the extended deadline of 15 September 2025 will remain final.
What Do Experts Say?
For the financial year 2024-25 (assessment year 2025-26), the Income Tax Department has extended the last date to file ITR from 31 July to 15 September 2025. The reason for this is big changes in the ITR forms, delay in updating the online system, and to give a better experience to taxpayers.
Experts say this extension is special because in the last three years, the date was not extended. Some tax experts say that some ITR forms like Form 5, 6, and 7 are still not ready for online and offline filing. So, the government may give more time to people who use these forms.
For common taxpayers like salaried people or small business owners, the last date is still 15 September. CA Dr. Suresh Surana said the date might be extended again, but the government has not made any official statement yet.
What If the Date Is Not Extended?
If you file your ITR after 15 September 2025, you will have to pay a late fee and interest. You can file a belated return till 31 December 2025, but you will not get all the benefits. It is always better to file your return before the last date to avoid problems or mistakes in your papers.