Sept. 15 ITR Deadline Stresses Taxpayers, Professionals as Filing Utilities Released Late
Professionals state that the delayed rollout of forms meant that real filing only began sometime in mid-July than it should have much earlier.
ITR - deadline - Taxscan
ITR - deadline - Taxscan
The looming September 15, 2025 deadline for filing income tax returns (ITRs) has turned into yet another season of stress for taxpayers and professionals. Despite the government having extended the earlier deadline from the usual July 31 to September 15, chartered accountants (CA) and tax professionals across the country have raised concerns that the benefits of the extended window have been nullified by the delayed release of ITR forms and utilities, forcing everyone back into the same last-minute rush.
A message widely shared among professional groups captures the situation perfectly: when the government announced the extension, it was assumed that taxpayers had sufficient breathing room to file their returns without hassle. However, the delayed rollout of forms meant that real filing only began sometime in mid-July.
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For instance, ITR-1 and ITR-4 utilities were released between late May and June but the complete set of individual ITR forms became available only on 11 July 2025. Due to the delays, assessees and tax practitioners now have had barely two months of time to effectuate compliance, the situation being as similar as previous years.
This compressed schedule has collided with the equally pressing task of completing tax audits under the pressure of deadlines.
Industry bodies and bar associations have reportedly already written to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Finance Ministry seeking extension in the deadline. The most common issues raised by them include technical glitches on the portal, frequent changes to schema, mismatches in AIS/Form 26AS data and reduced working days as additional hurdles.
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Will the CBDT Extend the Due Dates?
News agencies across India report that Chartered Accountants are united in calling for an extension, however as things stand it is unlikely that the Finance Ministry would extend the deadline further. The government’s concern is that repeated extensions would weaken taxpayers' willingness to abide by compliance discipline and statutory timelines.
Yet, professionals argue that the delay lies not with taxpayers but with the system itself.
Whether the deadline will be moved again remains uncertain. For now, taxpayers and professionals are advised to speed up their filing procedures so as to avoid any penal action from the Department.
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