In recent years, deadline extensions have become relatively common, often driven by delays in ITR form notifications, glitches on the income tax e-filing portal or high filing volumes in the final days.
This year, however, tax experts believe the chances of another extension are slim. They point to smoother portal operations, timely release of ITR utilities and changes in the filing calendar that have eased pressure on the system.
Why experts see little room for an extension
According to Sandeep Sehgal, Partner – Tax at AKM Global, a tax consluting firm, the circumstances that typically lead to deadline extensions are largely absent this year.
“The government has taken a proactive step by extending the due date for non-audit business and professional taxpayers to August 31, effectively reducing peak load on the filing portal,” he said.
The revised filing schedule means that the July 31 deadline is now primarily meant for salaried individuals and other taxpayers who are not subject to audit. Taxpayers requiring audit have a later due date, reducing the concentration of filings in the last week of July.
Naveen Wadhwa, Vice President at Taxmann, echoed a similar view. He said that unlike previous years, there have been no major technical disruptions on the income tax portal during the current filing season.
“The e-filing portal has been functioning smoothly this season, with no major outages reported. The Budget 2026 has given an additional month to a large section of taxpayers to file the ITR, which spreads the filing load into the following month rather than concentrating it in July,” he said.
He also noted that the portal’s grievance-redressal mechanism has been responding promptly to taxpayer issues, reducing the need for administrative intervention.
What changed this year?
Several factors distinguish this year’s filing season from previous ones.
First, the income tax department notified the ITR forms and enabled filing well in advance, giving taxpayers more time to prepare and submit their returns.
Second, taxpayers covered under the non-audit category no longer account for the entire filing rush. With many businesses and professionals now having time until August 31, the filing load has been spread across two months instead of being compressed into July.
Finally, the e-filing portal has remained largely stable during the season, with no widespread technical glitches that could significantly disrupt return filing.
Historically, it has been a combination of delayed utilities, portal issues and exceptionally high last-minute traffic that has prompted deadline extensions.
Why taxpayers should not wait
Experts caution taxpayers against assuming that an extension will be announced.
Delaying ITR filing could have financial consequences for some taxpayers. Sehgal noted that filing after the due date may lead to higher interest liability under Section 234B in certain cases, depending on a taxpayer’s advance tax position. Missing the due date may also affect the ability to carry forward certain eligible losses under the Income Tax Act, subject to applicable provisions.
Apart from these implications, filing early also allows taxpayers to identify any errors in Form 26AS, the Annual Information Statement (AIS) or Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS), resolve mismatches and receive refunds sooner, if any are due.
