Income-tax return filing: Centre set to extend key dates amid ITR portal glitches

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is set to extend the key deadlines for income-tax returns (ITR) filing even as it picked up pace after Infosys fixed the snags on the new ITR portal. The deadline extension comes in the wake of troubles faced by the taxpayers.

More than 4 lakh ITR returns are being filed a day for the past four days as against a total standstill in filings for two days from August 21. Given the situation, the Centre would extend the key return-filing deadlines, giving ample time to the taxpayers to file ITRs.

"We are factoring in the delays caused due to the technical glitches on the new portal. The extension of dates will be notified in the coming day or two. It will leave taxpayers with sufficient time to comply. We will ease their nervousness," a government source told Business Standard.

More than 8 million ITRs for FY21 have been filed so far, which is around 14% of the returns filed by the last date for FY20. The CBDT is also expected to come out with the statistics on daily filings on the new portal.

"Things are settling down and that can be seen from the returns and form filing. These are early days. September has not come. 8 million is a good number for a portal that struggled to settle. These are tell-tale sign that things are settling down," the source added.

The last date for filing ITRs by salaried individuals as well as those whose accounts need to be audited was pushed to September 30 from July 31.

The deadline for tax audit cases has been extended to November 30 from September 30.