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ITR Filing: Why AY 2026-27 May Not Get a Deadline Extension
Tax experts say the July 31 ITR deadline for AY 2026-27 is unlikely to be extended. Early form releases, stable portal, and 4.3 crore returns filed signal no reprieve.
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The July 31 deadline for filing income tax returns for Assessment Year 2026-27 is fast approaching. Salaried employees, pensioners, and students filing ITR-1 or ITR-2 are watching for a last-minute extension. Tax experts and the government itself have signaled that this year is different.
Over the past five assessment years, the income tax department extended various filing deadlines on four occasions. For AY 2021-22, the ITR deadline moved from July 31 to September 30, then to December 31. The government cited COVID disruptions and difficulties with electronic filing of audit reports. For AY 2022-23, the deadline for audit-requiring returns was pushed to November 7 after taxpayers reported technical problems on the e-filing portal. AY 2023-24 saw no extension. For AY 2024-25, the audit report deadline was extended by a week, and the belated return deadline moved to January 15, 2025. For AY 2025-26, the main deadline was pushed from July 31 to September 15, then to September 16, after changes to ITR forms and reporting requirements delayed the utilities.
This year, the government has already extended the deadline to August 31 for taxpayers filing returns for business and professional income in non-audit cases. For ITR-1 and ITR-2 filers, the July 31 date stands. The forms were released ahead of schedule, giving taxpayers a normal filing window. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the government monitors the e-filing portal's performance through a daily and hourly dashboard. Technical issues are identified, escalated, and resolved within a defined timeline, he said.