ITR Deadline Extended Till September 16, 2025, After Portal Glitch on Last Day:

In a major relief for taxpayers, the Income Tax Department has extended the deadline to file Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for the Assessment Year 2025-26 by one more day, giving people time till Tuesday, September 16, 2025, to submit their returns without incurring any late filing fees. The original deadline was Monday, September 15, but due to technical glitches on the e-filing portal, many users were unable to complete their filings on time. Why Was the ITR Deadline Extended? The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) issued a notification on Monday stating that the deadline had been extended to accommodate taxpayers who faced difficulties accessing the portal. According to a report by news agency PTI, the e-filing portal experienced a technical glitch due to an unprecedented surge in traffic on the last day. Adding to the pressure, September 15 was also the due date for the second installment of advance tax payments, resulting in increased traffic on the portal. Many users reported being unable to log in or complete their filings, even after following the troubleshooting guidelines shared by the IT Department on social media. “To facilitate further filing of ITRs, the due date has been extended by one day (16th September 2025),” the CBDT said in a statement. Portal Maintenance and User Complaints In addition to heavy traffic, the ITR e-filing portal underwent scheduled maintenance during the early hours of Tuesday—from 12:00 am to 2:30 am—to enable updates in utilities. While the department released a checklist for users to troubleshoot common issues, complaints persisted throughout Monday from users unable to file returns even after attempting those steps. The department acknowledged these issues and said the decision to extend the deadline was made to ensure that taxpayers are not penalized for reasons beyond their control. Record-Breaking ITR Filings in 2025 Despite the last-minute hiccups, India continues to see a consistent rise in the number of ITRs being filed every year. As of Monday, September 15, 2025, over 7.3 crore ITRs had been filed, exceeding last year’s record of 7.28 crore returns filed up to July 31, 2024, for the Assessment Year 2024-25. To put it in perspective, the number of ITRs filed in Assessment Year 2023-24 stood at 6.77 crore, indicating a steady year-on-year increase in tax compliance and digital adoption among Indian taxpayers. What This Means for Taxpayers Taxpayers who missed filing their ITR by the earlier deadline now have a final chance to file their returns without penalty. After September 16, 2025, late fees under Section 234F will be applicable, which can go up to ₹5,000, depending on the taxpayer’s income. If you haven’t filed your ITR yet for income earned in FY 2024-25, make sure to log in to the Income Tax e-filing portal and complete your return by the end of the day today.

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