Govt extends ITR filing deadline to Sept 16 after portal issues

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The government has given one extra day to file Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for the financial year 2024-25 (Assessment Year 2025-26). The last date was earlier September 15, but due to heavy traffic and technical problems on the income tax portal, it has now been extended to September 16, 2025.

Record-Breaking ITR Filings

On September 15, the last official date, more than 7.3 crore returns were filed. This number has already crossed last year’s total of 7.28 crore, showing that more and more people are coming under the tax system every year. The government believes this reflects stronger compliance and a wider tax base.

Why the Extension Was Needed

The online filing system, known as the e-filing portal, faced serious traffic jams on September 15. Many users reported that they could not log in, file their returns, or make advance tax payments. Others faced issues downloading their Annual Information Statement (AIS) or Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS).

Taxpayers also complained that even after clearing browser cache or switching to a different browser, as suggested by officials, the problems remained.

Some chartered accountants and individual users turned to social media to highlight these glitches. While the income tax department responded that the portal was functioning fine for most users, it acknowledged the difficulties faced by many and issued step-by-step guides to help fix browser issues.

Advance Tax Payment Deadline

September 15 was not just the final day for filing ITRs without penalty, but also the deadline for paying the second installment of advance tax for the July-September quarter. Many taxpayers expressed frustration that the portal did not allow smooth transactions on such an important day.

Previous Extension in July

This is not the first time the ITR filing date has been extended this year. Earlier in July 2025, the government had already extended the filing deadline from July 31 to September 15. The reason given at that time was that new ITR forms were introduced late, in April and May, which required adjustments to the e-filing system and utilities.

Now, on September 15, the deadline has been pushed by one more day — up to September 16, 2025.

Portal Maintenance Update

The tax department has also announced that the e-filing portal will be under maintenance from 12 am to 2:30 am on September 16. This is being done to make changes and improve the system so that users can file smoothly before the final deadline.

Why This Matters

The consistent rise in ITR filings over the past few years shows that more Indians are becoming part of the formal tax structure. For example:

* AY 2023-24: 6.77 crore returns filed

* AY 2024-25: 7.28 crore returns filed (7.5% growth)

* AY 2025-26: Already 7.3 crore+ returns filed, with one day still left

This upward trend is seen as a positive sign of growing tax discipline and higher revenue collection for the government.