Income Tax return deadline extended by 24 hours after portal slows down

An extra day allowed to complete process for AY 2025-26; experts says people risk Rs 5,000 penalty if they don't file returns

The deadline for filing Income Tax returns (ITR) has been extended till Tuesday midnight to help people who could not do so by Monday.

 

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) extended the deadline for assessment year (AY) 2025-26 after huge traffic disrupted the e-filing portal. According to multiple social media posts, many taxpayers could not either log in to the portal or found it slow.

 

“To facilitate further filings of ITRs, the due date has been extended by one day (16th September 2025),” CBDT said. The portal was put under maintenance between midnight and 2.30 am on Tuesday to stabilise services.

 

Avoid penalty and interest

 

Filing within the extended window helps avoid a late fee under Section 234F of the Income Tax Act:

 

• Rs 1,000 if total income is up to Rs 5 lakh 
• Rs 5,000 if income exceeds Rs 5 lakh

 

“This penalty is levied even if all your tax is already deducted at source and no extra tax is due,” said Niyati Shah, a chartered accountant and vertical head of personal tax at 1 Finance.

 

Those with unpaid or underpaid taxes also face interest under Sections 234A, 234B and 234C. For example, Section 234A levies 1 per cent interest per month on pending tax from 16 September until the filing date.

 

“The extension of the ITR filing deadline provides taxpayers with a valuable opportunity to avoid penalties on delayed filing, potentially saving up to Rs 5,000. With about 15 million to 20 million taxpayers yet to file, this extension offers a rare chance to ensure compliance without the added burden of fines,” said Archit Gupta, founder and chief executive officer of ClearTax. 

Mandatory form for certain taxpayers

 

From AY 2024-25, the new tax regime is the default for individuals and Hindu Undivided Families. Taxpayers with business, professional or freelance income must file Form 10-IEA before the due date to opt out of the new regime and claim deductions like HRA, 80C, or home loan interest. “If missed, the tax department will automatically apply the new regime and disallow all exemptions,” said Shefali Mundra, tax expert at ClearTax. 

 

Experts recommended people follow these steps to file tax returns:

 

• Matching pre-filled data with Form 26AS/AIS 
• Filing Form 10-IEA if you wish to stay in the old regime 
• Paying self-assessment tax to avoid interest 
• Validating bank account details for refund credit 
• E-verifying ITR within 30 days of filing