The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has announced an extension of the income tax return filing deadline for financial year 2024-25 (assessment year 2025-26), pushing the date from July 31, 2025, to September 15, 2025. This decision comes following delays in releasing ITR form notifications and the pending launch of filing utilities by the tax department.
The Income Tax Department made this announcement through its official X (previously Twitter) account, stating: “Kind attention Taxpayers! CBDT has decided to extend the due date of filing of ITRs, which are due for filing by 31st July 2025, to 15th September 2025. This extension will provide more time due to significant revisions in ITR forms, system development needs, and TDS credit reflections. This ensures a smoother and more accurate filing experience for everyone. Formal notification will follow.”
Extension Benefits Salaried Workers
The original July 31, 2025 deadline affects the majority of standard taxpayer categories, encompassing most wage earners and individuals whose financial records do not require professional auditing. Working professionals will receive an additional 46 days to complete their tax return submissions. Taxpayers who fail to file by the final deadline face penalties reaching Rs 5,000.
Reasons Behind September 15, 2025 Extension
The Central Board of Direct Taxes has outlined specific justifications for this deadline postponement. According to CBDT, “The notified ITRs for AY 2025-26 have undergone structural and content revisions aimed at simplifying compliance, enhancing transparency, and enabling accurate reporting. These changes have necessitated additional time for system development, integration, and testing of the corresponding utilities. Furthermore, credits arising from TDS statements, due for filing by 31st May 2025, are expected to begin reflecting in early June, limiting the effective window for return filing in the absence of such extension.”
The revenue department elaborated that the comprehensive modifications implemented in the updated ITR forms require substantial preparation time for system compatibility and utility deployment for assessment year 2025-26.
“Accordingly, to facilitate a smooth and convenient filing experience for taxpayers, it has been decided that the due date for filing of ITRs, originally due on 31st July 2025, is extended to 15th September 2025. A formal notification to this effect is being issued separately. This extension is expected to mitigate the concerns raised by stakeholders and provide adequate time for compliance, thereby ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the return filing process,” the CBDT stated in its X post.