The last date to file income tax returns (ITRs) is here – September 15, 2025 – and so far, more than six crore returns for the Assessment Year 2025-26 have been filed, the Income Tax department said on Saturday.
“Thank you taxpayers & tax professionals for helping us reach the milestone of 6 crore Income Tax Returns (ITRs) as of now and still counting,” the I-T department said in a post on X.
It also informed that the department’s helpdesk is functioning on a 24x7 basis to provide support through calls, live chats, WebEx sessions & Twitter/X to assist taxpayers for ITR filing, tax payment and other related services.
ITR filings have shown consistent growth over the years, reflecting rising compliance and the widening of the tax base. For AY 2024-25, a record 7.28 crore ITRs were filed up to July 31, 2024, compared to 6.77 crore in AY 2023-24, registering a 7.5 per cent year-on-year growth.
While the department asked taxpayers who haven’t yet filed ITR for AY 2025-26 to file at the earliest to avoid a last-minute rush, there seems to have been no word on any extension on the due date, despite there being calls from various quarters.
Also Read: Lok Sabha passes revised Income Tax Bill without debate
In May, the Income Tax department had announced an extension of the due date for filing ITRs for Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26 (for income earned in financial year 2024-25) by individuals, HUFs and entities who do not have to get their accounts audited from July 31 to September 15.
This extension was on account of "structural and content revisions" in the income tax return (ITR) forms, which was notified in late April and early May. The changes made in the ITR form for AY 2025-26 also need modifications to be made in ITR filing utilities and the back-end system.
How to file your ITR (if you still haven’t)
Those who’re not liable for income tax audit AY 2025-26, can file their ITRs directly on the income tax department’s e-filing portal either on their own or with the help of a Chartered Accountant (CA) free of cost. The CA, however, may charge a fee for his/her services.
Other ways to file an ITR include third-party websites that charge a certain fee for different kinds of plans offered, depending on the number of sources of income of the taxpayer and the level of assistance required.
Mostly, the options of filing an ITR are as below:
1. Self-filing: Via the Income Tax department’s web portal, which offers basic back-end assistance for uploading documents and filling the ITR form.
2. With the help of a CA: The platform connects the taxpayer with an in-house expert or CA who helps resolve queries via video consultation or call.
3. Automated system’s help: After a taxpayer uploads documents, an automated system designed with CA inputs helps complete the formalities.
What do various websites cost you?
Some of the most commonly used web portals to file ITRs include TaxManager.in; Tax2Win.in; TaxBuddy; TaxSpanner; and ClearTax.in. Their charges vary, depending on the service required and the level of complexity in filing your tax returns.
For instance, for tax returns on an income of less than ₹50 lakh per annum, the charges are anywhere between ₹699 (by TaxSpanner) to Rs. 1962 (by Tax2Win.in).
Similarly, for an income of more than ₹50 lakh per annum, tax expert-assisted charged range from ₹1099 (by TaxBuddy) to ₹5950 (by ClearTax.in).
For NRIs, tax expert-assisted charges start at ₹4199 (by Tax Spanner) to ₹9203 (by Tax2Win.in).
For payment of taxes on foreign income, the charges start at ₹6000 (by MyItreturn.com) to ₹12,270 (by Tax2Win.in).
For professionals, self-employed, or consultants, tax expert-assistance-offering websites charge anywhere between ₹2499 (TaxBuddy) to ₹5950 (ClearTax.in).
For returns on Capital Gains, tax assistance on web portals comes at ₹2449 (TaxSpanner) to ₹5950 (ClearTax.in).
Requests to extend the deadline pour in
Meanwhile, requests by chartered accountant bodies to delay the due date of filing income returns are continuing to pour in on account of errors and glitches on the ITR portal.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Advocates Tax Bar Association (ATBA), and the Karnataka State Chartered Accountants Association (KSCAA) have all sent a representation to the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, to highlight technical issues with the e-filing ITR portal.
ATBA said the deadline for non-audit ITR should be October 15, 2025, and the tax audit report submission should be November 30, 2025.
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