Deadline to file Income tax returns won’t be extended beyond 31 July: I-T dept

An official of the IT department on Sunday said that the last date for filing of income tax returns (ITRs) for the financial year 2016-17 will not be extended beyond Monday’s deadline(31 July).

“The last date for filing of ITRs remains July 31. There are no plans to extend this deadline. The department has already received over 2 crore returns filed electronically. The department requests taxpayers to file their return in time,” the official said.

On reports of the e-filing website facing some glitches, he said that no major glitches have been reported with the department’s e-filing website–http:// incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/ –barring a few times when the portal was “interrupted for maintenance”.

The department has also issued advertisements in newspapers in the last few days stating that taxpayers should disclose their income “correctly” and file their ITRs on or before 31 July.

The linking of Aadhaar number with the PAN (Permanent Account Number) of a taxpayer has also been made compulsory for filing of an ITR, beginning 1 July.

Taxpayers have also been asked to declare cash deposits made in bank accounts aggregating to Rs 2 lakh or more, post demonetisation between 9 November 9- 30 December last year, in the ITRs.

The ITRs to be filed by 31 July pertain to 2016-17 fiscal or assessment year 2017-18.