Chartered Accountants File Writs in Delhi and Punjab & Haryana HC Seeking Extension of Tax Audit Report Deadline

Chartered accountants and tax experts across India are asking for more time to complete tax audit reports. The current deadline of September 30 has become a major concern because of repeated crashes on the government’s income tax portal and other practical difficulties.

In the past few days, three new writ petitions were filed. One was filed in the Delhi High Court, while two were filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. These petitions ask the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to extend the due date for filing the Tax Audit Report.

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Hearings on some of these petitions are scheduled between September 24 and September 26. Another petition was also filed by the Bhilwara Tax Bar Association in the Rajasthan High Court, adding to more than ten similar cases already pending in different courts.

Professionals argue that the short time frame has been made worse by several factors. The tax portal has been unstable for weeks, making it difficult to upload reports or check details. Monsoon rains have caused delays in many states, and new income tax return forms were released only in late July, cutting down the available preparation time.

A study from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad in 2020 explained that monsoon disruptions can slow down tax compliance by nearly 30 percent, which matches the current situation.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has also written to the Finance Minister, asking for the deadline to be pushed back to December 31. They argue that overlapping deadlines, poor portal performance, and festive season pressures have left little scope for timely completion.

For non-audit cases, CBDT had earlier given an extension of 45 days, moving the due date to September 16. However, no announcement has been made for audit cases.

On social media, the campaign is gaining traction. Hashtags like #ExtendTaxAuditDueDate are trending as accountants share their struggles. Many say that with only a small percentage of audits finished and just a few working days left, completing the work is almost impossible. Without an extension, taxpayers who need audits may face late fees or other penalties.

For now, chartered accountants continue to work long hours and wait for either the courts or CBDT to provide relief.

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