ITR filing deadline FY 2025-26: Due dates, penalties, and what happens if you miss July 31 deadline

Although the Income-tax Act, 2025, came into force on April 1, 2026, taxpayers filing their Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27) will continue to do so under the Income-tax Act, 1961. The Income Tax Department has clarified that the old law will govern returns for FY 2025-26.

So, when do you need to file your ITR, can the deadline be extended, and what happens if you miss it?

What is the due date for filing ITR for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27)?

The due date depends on the taxpayer category and the ITR form being filed.

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“For most individual taxpayers such as salaried employees and pensioners not requiring tax audit, the due date is generally 31 July 2026. However, the Income Tax Department’s ITR-4 help page currently mentions 31 August 2026 as the due date for AY 2026-27 for ITR-4 taxpayers,” says Sudhir Kaushik, Co-founder & CEO, Taxspanner (a Zaggle company).

Taxpayers should verify the due date applicable to their ITR form on the Income Tax Department's e-filing portal before filing their return.

ITR filing due dates for AY 2026-27

Category of Taxpayer / Return	Due Date for Filing Return	Remarks
Individuals and HUFs not liable to tax audit and filing ITR-1 or ITR-2	31 July 2026	Applicable where tax audit is not required.
Business or professional taxpayers filing ITR-3 or ITR-4 and not liable to tax audit	31 August 2026	Applicable where business/professional income is reported but tax audit is not applicable.
Partner of a partnership firm	31 August 2026	Applicable to a partner (firm not liable to audit) filing return in individual capacity, subject to audit-related provisions, wherever applicable.
Taxpayers liable to tax audit	31 October 2026	Applicable where audit under the Income-tax Act is required.
Taxpayers covered by transfer pricing provisions	30 November 2026	Applicable where transfer pricing report/compliance is required.
Belated return	31 December 2026	Subject to applicable statutory conditions.
Revised return	31 March 2027	Subject to applicable statutory conditions.

Source: N. A. Shah Associates LLP

“The Union Budget 2026 extended the time limit for filing revised return from 31 December to 31 March to accommodate revision of original tax returns and belated tax returns (which, as per the earlier timelines, coincided with 31 December). The proposed amendment in the Union Budget 2026 was applicable from 1 March 2026 for AY 2026-27 under the Income-tax Act 1961, and from 1 April 2026 for tax year 2026-27 under the Income-tax Act, 2025,” explains Amarpal Chadha, Tax Partner, EY India.

Can the ITR filing due date be extended?

As regards the possibility of extension, as on date, there is no official notification or circular extending the due date for filing income-tax returns for AY 2026-27.

“Historically, the Central Board of Direct Taxes extends due dates only in exceptional circumstances, such as delay in release of return utilities, major portal-related difficulties, significant legislative changes, or widespread disruption affecting taxpayers,” says CA Hitesh Jain, Direct Tax Partner, N. A. Shah Associates LLP.

Therefore, unless an official extension is notified, taxpayers should proceed on the basis that the statutory due dates will apply and should not wait for an extension.

What are the income tax penalties for filing ITR after the due date?

If a taxpayer misses the due date under Section 139(1), the return can still be filed as a belated return. For AY 2026-27, the Income Tax Department has clarified that a belated return can be filed up to 31 December 2026 or before completion of assessment, whichever is earlier.

However, filing late can have several financial and tax consequences.

“The most commonly discussed consequence of late filing is the fee under Section 234F of the Income-tax Act. If a taxpayer files the return after the due date prescribed under Section 139(1), a late filing fee of Rs 5,000 is payable where total income exceeds Rs 5 lakh,” says Jain.

Where total income does not exceed Rs 5 lakh, the fee is restricted to Rs. 1,000. This fee is in addition to any tax and interest payable and is generally computed at the time of filing the belated return, he adds.

ITR	Due date	Late fee
Timely ITR	On or before the 31st July*	Nil
Belated ITR	December 31, 2026	Rs 1000- if income less than Rs 5 lakh Rs 5000- for income more than Rs 5 lakh
Revised ITR	March 31, 2027	No late fee, but filing the original or belated ITR first is mandatory.

*July 31, 2026 is the due date for students, pensioners, salaried and other taxpayers who are not required to conduct a tax audit. Usually, the above-mentioned taxpayers file their ITR on or before July 31 using ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3 or ITR-4 form. Other ITR forms are relevant for corporations, trusts, etc.

ITR-1 (Sahaj) can be filed by a resident individual whose total income doesn’t exceed Rs 50 lakh during the financial year and whose income sources are relatively simple. This includes income from salary or pension, single house property, and income from other sources such as interest income (from savings accounts, deposits, income tax refunds, or enhanced compensation) and family pension.

Moreover, taxpayers can report agricultural income up to Rs 5,000 and limited long-term capital gains (LTCG) under Section 112A up to Rs 1.25 lakh, provided there are no capital losses to be carried forward. Clubbed income of a spouse or minor can also be included, as long as it falls within the permitted income categories.

However, individuals with complex income sources, multiple properties, or higher capital gains are not eligible to file ITR-1.

Interest on unpaid tax

In addition to Section 234F, interest under Section 234A may apply where there is unpaid tax on the due date of filing. Such interest is generally charged at 1% per month or part of a month on the amount of unpaid tax, from the due date of filing the return until the date of actual filing, explains Jain.

Taxpayers may also face interest under Sections 234B and 234C where there is default or deferment in payment of advance tax.

Loss of the right to carry forward certain losses

According to Jain, another important consequence, which is often more serious than the monetary fee, is the loss of the right to carry forward certain losses. If the return is not filed within the due date prescribed under section 139(1), specified losses such as business loss, speculation loss, capital loss and loss from owning and maintaining racehorses may generally not be allowed to be carried forward.

This can have a significant future tax impact, particularly for investors, traders, business owners and professionals.

Sections 234G and 271AA

Section 234G is sometimes mistakenly referred to in the context of late filing of ITR. However, it is not a general late-return penalty.

“Section 234G provides for a fee of Rs. 200 per day for default in furnishing certain statements or certificates prescribed in relation to provisions such as section 35 or section 80G,” explains Jain.

It is relevant mainly for specified reporting defaults and is not ordinarily applicable to a salaried individual merely because the ITR is filed late, he adds.

Similarly, Section 271AA(1) is not a routine late-filing penalty. “It generally deals with failure to maintain prescribed information and documents in respect of international transactions or specified domestic transactions, particularly in transfer pricing cases,” says Jain.

Therefore, unless the taxpayer is covered by such provisions, Section 271AA(1) would not be triggered merely because the income-tax return is filed after the due date.