ITR Filing Deadline 2025: Taxpayers Demand Extension to October 15 Amid Portal Glitches and Audit Pressure

As the deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITR) and tax audit reports approaches, taxpayers and chartered accountants across the country are calling for an extension. The current deadline is September 15, 2025, but multiple associations have urged the Finance Ministry to push the due date to October 15, citing severe technical and procedural difficulties.

Why the Demand for Extension Is Growing

This year, filing ITRs has become particularly challenging due to persistent glitches on the income tax portal, late release of forms, and overlapping compliance timelines. Both taxpayers and professionals have complained that the existing deadline does not give them sufficient time to complete the process without errors.

The Karnataka State Chartered Accountants Association (KSCAA), the Central India Regional Council of ICAI (CIRC), and the Advocates Tax Bar Association (ATBA) have formally submitted representations to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, highlighting these issues and requesting an immediate extension of deadlines.

ATBA’s Representation

The Advocates Tax Bar Association has proposed that the due date for non-audit ITR filing should be extended to October 15, 2025, while the deadline for submitting tax audit reports should be moved to November 30, 2025.

According to ATBA, the Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasized that compliance timelines are meant to facilitate justice and convenience, not to penalize taxpayers. Imposing penalties on account of technical or systemic delays, they argue, would be unfair in the current circumstances.

Technical and Practical Challenges

ATBA and other associations listed several issues in their submissions:

• Severe flooding in many parts of the country has disrupted normal life and business operations.

• Late release of ITR forms – ITR-5, ITR-6, ITR-7, and several audit forms were issued only in July and August, even though they should have been available by April 1.

• Portal glitches – frequent downtimes, error messages, and incorrect data entries in AIS (Annual Information Statement).

• Incorrect reflection of TDS under wrong heads, causing additional reconciliation work.

• Unnecessary details in CGAS (Capital Gains Account Scheme) being asked, leading to compliance burdens.

Adding to the challenge, multiple statutory deadlines under GST, MCA, and income tax laws fall between July and October. Combined with the festive season and adverse weather conditions, professionals say they are overburdened and unable to complete filings within the current timeframe.

KSCAA’s Position

In its representation dated September 10, 2025, KSCAA highlighted that late issuance of audit-related forms left very little time for taxpayers and professionals to complete audits and filings. The association stressed that tax professionals are under tremendous pressure as overlapping compliance dates are making it nearly impossible to meet deadlines.

ICAI’s Regional Council Also Joins the Appeal

The Central India Regional Council (CIRC) of ICAI also expressed concern that the present deadline is unworkable. They noted that with the ITR forms being released late and portal glitches continuing, meeting the September 30 audit report deadline would be unrealistic.

What Happens Next?

So far, the Finance Ministry has not issued any notification regarding an extension. However, given the mounting pressure from professional bodies and taxpayers, experts believe that the government may consider extending the dates, as has been done in previous years when systemic challenges arose.

If accepted, taxpayers would get an additional one-month window to file ITRs without penalty, and auditors would have until November-end to submit reports. This relief would not only ease the burden on professionals but also ensure greater accuracy and compliance.

Bottom Line

With just days left before the September 15 deadline, the ball is now in the government’s court. For millions of taxpayers and chartered accountants struggling with portal errors and overlapping deadlines, an extension to October 15 could provide much-needed relief.

Until an official announcement is made, taxpayers are advised to continue preparing their filings to avoid last-minute rush.