ITR filing deadline for FY20-21 may have to be extended beyond Sept 30, 2021

New Delhi, Aug 28 : The income tax return (ITR) filing deadline for FY 2020-21 for individuals has already been extended to September 30, 2021, from the usual deadline of July 31, 2021. However, the new income tax e-filing portal has been marred by glitches and other problems from inception.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has given Infosys (the company which set up the new portal) time till September 15 to fix all the problems.
However, this means that an individual is left with only 15 days to file ITR before to file ITR before the expiry of due date and that too with a new unfamiliar system which even experienced chartered accountants are finding a challenge. Chartered accountant society representatives are also saying that the deadline should be extended in view of the state of the e-filing portal.
Therefore, it appears likely that the ITR filing deadline would be extended. However, this means that an individual is left with only 15 days to file ITR before the expiry of due date and that too with a new unfamiliar system which even experienced chartered accountants are finding a challenge.
Chartered accountant society representatives are also saying that the deadline should be extended in view of the state of the e-filing portal. Therefore, it appears likely that the ITR filing deadline would be extended.
One should keep in mind that last year too, the government has extended the due date of filing ITR for individuals for individuals four times – first from July 31 to November 30, 2020, then to December 31, 2020, and finally to January 10, 2021.
Chartered Accountant Deepak Shah, Chairman, Taxation Committee, Bombay Chartered Accountant Society says: “The ITR filing deadline for individuals, and entities other than companies whose accounts are not liable to audit, is September 30,2021. This should definitely be extended for the reason that the new income tax portal continues to have many glitches for the past two and a half months and these are yet to be resolved.

ET OnlineLast Updated: Aug 28, 2021, 11:44 AM IST