The Government on Monday (September 15, 2025) extended the deadline for filing income tax returns (ITRs) for Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26 by a day, following widespread technical glitches on the e-filing portal. The due date, earlier set as September 15, has now been moved to September 16, providing taxpayers a final opportunity to comply without penalty.

Record ITR filings this year

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) announced that over 7.3 crore ITRs had been filed till September 15, surpassing the previous year’s 7.28 crore. This reflects a steady increase in compliance and indicates the widening of India’s tax base.

“To facilitate further filings of ITRs, the due date has been extended by one day (16th September 2025),” the CBDT stated in a post on X.

The department also thanked taxpayers and professionals for their cooperation, even as many continued to report problems accessing the e-filing portal.

Technical issues on the last day

September 15 was not only the deadline for ITR filing but also the last date for payment of the second quarterly instalment of advance tax for the financial year 2024-25. The e-filing portal witnessed heavy traffic, resulting in many users being unable to log in, upload their returns, or complete tax payments.

Several chartered accountants and individuals took to social media to complain about glitches while making payments and downloading their Annual Information Statement (AIS). Some reported repeated login failures, while others highlighted issues with uploading ITR forms.

Replying to user concerns, the Income Tax Department clarified that the portal was “working fine” for most users and suggested clearing browser cache or switching browsers. It also urged taxpayers to share their PAN and mobile details through email if problems persisted.

Steps issued to resolve browser issues

Late on September 15, the department issued a guide on X, listing simple browser and system fixes that could resolve most access-related difficulties. These included clearing cookies, disabling pop-up blockers, and checking system compatibility.

Despite this, complaints continued throughout the day, prompting the government to extend the deadline.

Previous extension in July

This is the second extension granted for AY 2025-26 filings. Originally, the due date was July 31, 2025, but it was extended to September 15 owing to “structural and content revisions” in the ITR forms. These revisions, notified in April and May, required backend modifications to the filing utilities, which led to the first extension.

Now, a further extension of one day has been granted, keeping the final due date at September 16, 2025.

Consistent rise in compliance

ITR filings have shown a consistent upward trajectory over the years. For AY 2024-25, 7.28 crore returns were filed by July 31, 2024, compared to 6.77 crore in AY 2023-24, marking a 7.5 per cent year-on-year increase.

Experts say this reflects better awareness, improved reporting, and tightening compliance measures by the government. The record-breaking 7.3 crore returns filed till September 15, 2025, further underlines this trend.

Portal maintenance scheduled

To facilitate smooth processing, the CBDT announced that the e-filing portal will remain in maintenance mode from 12 am to 2.30 am on September 16. This was aimed at implementing necessary fixes and ensuring that taxpayers face fewer disruptions on the extended due date.

Conclusion

The final deadline for AY 2025-26 ITR filing now stands at September 16, 2025. With record numbers already achieved, the government expects the additional day to help taxpayers complete pending filings and payments. However, the repeated glitches have raised concerns about the robustness of the e-filing system, especially during peak deadlines