Over 6cr ITRs filed for assessment year 2025-26: IT Department
What's the story
The Income Tax Department has reported that over six crore income tax returns (ITRs) have been filed for the Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26. The department took to the social media platform X to thank taxpayers and tax professionals for their contribution in reaching this milestone. The deadline to file these returns without any penalty is September 15, 2025.
Assistance available
Round-the-clock helpdesk set up by IT department
The Income Tax Department has set up a round-the-clock helpdesk to assist taxpayers with filing their returns, making payments, and other related services. The assistance is being provided through calls, live chats, WebEx sessions, and posts on X. The department has urged those who have yet to file their ITRs for AY 2025-26 to do so as soon as possible to avoid last-minute rushes.
Deadline extension
Deadline extension due to 'structural and content revisions'
In May, the Income Tax Department had extended the deadline for filing ITRs for AY 2025-26 from July 31 to September 15. The extension was granted due to "structural and content revisions" in the ITR forms, which were notified in late April and early May. These changes required modifications in filing utilities and back-end systems.
Filing growth
Record ITR filings for AY 2024-25
Over the years, ITR filings have witnessed steady growth, indicating increased compliance and an expanding tax base. For AY 2024-25, a record 7.28 crore ITRs were filed by July 31, 2024, compared to 6.77 crore in AY 2023-24, a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 7.5%. In July, the Income Tax Department enabled an online utility for filing income tax return-2 (ITR-2) for individuals and Hindu Undivided Families with taxable capital gains income.