ITR Filing 2025: Will September 15 Deadline Be Extended? What Taxpayers Can Expect

There is increasing pressure on the government to provide an extension as the Income Tax Return (ITR) filing deadline of September 15, 2025, draws near. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has received appeals from a number of tax and industry organisations, pointing to technical issues, compliance challenges, and festival-season delays as the main challenges facing taxpayers this year.

Why Do Experts Want More Time?

In a letter to the CBDT, the Tax Bar Association, Bhilwara, identified a number of issues that hinder timely filing. The Economic Times lists these as follows:

• Taxpayers have fewer days to file because of the delayed release of ITR forms and the phased rollouts. ITR-1, for example, was updated as late as August 26 after being released on May 30, leaving just 21 days for final submissions.
• Inconsistencies in Form 26AS, AIS, and TIS, sluggish portal performance, and frequent login problems during peak hours are examples of technical issues with the income tax portal.
• Issues with utility compatibility caused numerous software fixes and further postponed preparations.

New Difficulties with Compliance

With effect from FY 2024–2025, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has mandated a new vertical format for financial statements, which further complicates matters. Stricter disclosure guidelines, comparative data, and thorough reporting of related party transactions are all part of this. Experts contend that it is practically impossible to adjust to these changes by the current deadline.

Festive Calendar Adds Pressure

This year’s filing season also coincides with major Indian festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Durga Puja, and Diwali, stretching staff availability and delaying client-auditor meetings. The Bhilwara body noted that festive schedules are further shrinking the effective compliance window.

Proposed Deadline Extensions

The association has suggested revised timelines to ease the burden:

Nationwide Push for Extension

The demand is not limited to Rajasthan. Bodies like the Chandigarh Chartered Accountants Taxation Association (CCATAX) and the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) have also urged the government to reconsider the September 15 deadline, indicating broad-based national support for deadline flexibility.

As of now, the CBDT has not announced any extension, but taxpayers and professionals are hopeful for relief in the coming days.