Taxpayers race against clock on last day of ITR deadline

With the extended deadline for filing income tax returns (ITRs) for assessment year 2025–26 ending on 15 September, taxpayers and professionals are racing to complete submissions amid a surge in last-minute activity.

Nearly one crore returns are expected to be filed on the final day alone, with the total number of filings likely to cross last year’s record.

According to official data, 6.29 crore returns had been filed as of 13 September, compared with 7.28 crore in the previous year. Filings have grown steadily over recent years, from 5.77 crore in AY 2021–22 to 6.77 crore in AY 2023–24, representing a rise of over 25 per cent between AY 2022–23 and AY 2024–25, reflecting improved compliance and a widening tax base.

The deadline, initially set for 31 July, was extended to mid-September. But as the window closes, taxpayers face twin pressures: reported slowdowns on the income-tax e-filing portal and the requirement to pay the second instalment of advance tax, which also falls due on 15 September.

While a senior official of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) maintained that the portal was stable, attributing glitches to user-end browser issues, chartered accountants and taxpayers have flagged persistent problems.

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“Even if the portal was working perfectly, the bunching of deadlines would stretch professionals and taxpayers. The glitches only add to the pressure,” said Nitesh Buddhdev, founder of Nimit Consultancy.

Users have reported intermittent disruptions on key platforms, including the Annual Information Statement (AIS), Form 26AS, and Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS), which have been unable to handle high traffic.

The TRACES portal has also remained inaccessible since 11 September, preventing taxpayers from downloading TDS certificates, verifying credits or accessing Form 26AS.

Last year, the e-filing portal processed a record 70 lakh returns in a single day. Authorities expect this year’s filings to surpass 7.8 crore if last year’s 7.5 per cent year-on-year growth trend holds, but the final tally will depend on how smoothly the systems handle the closing-day rush.