The government on
Thursday extended the deadline till December 31 for filing of income tax
returns by individuals for the financial year 2021, amid the coronavirus
pandemic and technical glitches in the IT portal.
Illustration: Dominic Xavier
Earlier, the deadline was
extended to September 30, 2021. Usually, the last date for filing the ITR
(Income Tax Returns) for the individual taxpayers is July 31.
"On consideration
of difficulties reported by the taxpayers and other stakeholders in filing of
Income Tax Returns and various reports of audit for the Assessment Year 2021-22
under the Income-tax Act, 1961, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has decided
to further extend the due dates for filing of Income Tax Returns and various
reports of audit for the Assessment Year 2021-22," the finance ministry
said in a statement.
The CBDT has
also extended the ITR filing deadline for companies till February 15, 2022 from
November 30, 2021.
The due date for filing the
tax audit report and transfer pricing certificate has been extended to January
15, 2022 and January 31, 2022, respectively, from the existing deadline of
October 31 and November 30, respectively.
For filing belated or
revised return of income, the last date has been extended by another two months
to March 31, 2022.
With regard to
resolution of glitches in the tax portal, the finance ministry on Wednesday
said it is continuously engaging with Infosys to ensure a smooth filing
experience for taxpayers.
On April 1, the CBDT
notified the forms for filing I-T returns for 2020-21 fiscal.
For the 2020-21 fiscal, the
government had given taxpayers the option to choose a new tax regime under
section 115BAC of the I-T Act.