Income Tax Department To Not Extend Return Filing Due Date Again

The Income Tax department has rejected requests for further extension of the due date for filing tax returns for the financial year 2019-20 (assessment year 2020-21)

The department said that in comparison with other countries, India has been generous in giving extra time, and, the due date cannot be delayed indefinitely.

In an official order, the Central Board of Direct Taxes explained that it has already extended due dates for filing of return/tax audit on 3 occasions.

ITR deadline for FY 2020-21 for those who do not need to get their accounts audited was first extended to 30 November, then 31 December 2020 and then again to 10 January 2021. In the case of those who are required to submit tax audit reports, the date has been extended from 31 January 2021 to 15 February 2021.

"Any further extension would adversely affect the return filing discipline and shall also cause injustice to those who have taken pains to file the return before the due date. It would also postpone the collection of revenue thereby hampering the efforts of the Government to provide relief to the poor during these COVID times," the department's order said.

It also said that the return filing statistics of the current year indicates that returns filed this financial year already far exceeds the returns filed which were due on the last date of filing returns.