ITR Filing Deadline Today: Final Day to File ITR for FY 2024-25 Without Penalty
Today is September 15, 2025, the last date of filing the Income Tax Return (ITR) for the financial year 2024-25 (assessment year 2025-26); however, several taxpayers are still due to file their returns. The present deadline for ITR filing has already been extended once in the past from July 31, 2025, to September 15, 2025.
However, several taxpayers and tax professionals in recent days have sent their representations to the tax department discussing the key reasons behind why the ITR due date should be further extended beyond September 15, like delays in utilities and return form availability, glitches in the income tax portal, mismatches between Form 26AS and AIS, the changed format of reporting for non-corporate entities, the timing of the festival season, the extension of the due date for non-audit cases, shortened time for audit work, overlap with other compliances, etc.
In the previous year, no extension was made to the ITR due date, and approximately 7.28 crore income tax returns were filed as of July 31. This year, around 6 crore ITRs have been filed according to the Income Tax Portal’s update till September 13, 2025, and experts believe this number can reach up to 8 crore by September 15 (due date).
In this case, all taxpayers need to understand that ITR deadlines and compliance rules vary according to the categories of taxpayers. For instance, for individuals, HUFs, and small businesses who are not liable to get their accounts audited, the ITR due date is September 15, 2025, while for those who are liable to get their accounts audited, the ITR due date is October 31, 2025. If any authority is required to file a transfer pricing report, for them, the ITR due date is November 30, 2025. Therefore, taxpayers should understand the difference and file their returns as per their category and applicability of form (ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3, ITR-4) accordingly to avoid any litigation.
If, for any reason, you miss their ITR due date, i.e., September 15, 2025. In any case, you can file a belated return. The due date for filing a belated ITR is December 31, 2025. However, the Income Tax Department imposes a penalty on individuals who file a belated return: a penalty of Rs. 1,000 if your taxable income is less than or equal to Rs. 5 lakh and Rs. 5,000 if your taxable income is more than Rs. 5 lakh. Except for this, you will also be liable to pay interest on outstanding tax. However, one of the biggest drawbacks here is that on belated returns, candidates are not allowed to switch regimes, are not able to carry forward losses, and some deductions may also be missed.
It is important to note that the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has not made any official announcement regarding the extension of the ITR due date; hence, taxpayers are advised to file their ITR today only in order to avoid penalties and interest.
