No proposal to extend last date for ITR filing: Govt

Highlights

Taxpayers must note that the official deadline for filing of income tax returns remains Dec 31, 2021
5.62 cr ITRs have been filed till December 31, according to the government data
ITR verification deadline extended till February 28, 2022 for FY20

The Centre on Friday said that the last date for filing income tax return (ITR) will not be extended. Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj told reporters in Delhi that there is no proposal to extend the date for filing ITR. The last day to file ITR is today (December 31).

So far 5.62 crore ITRs have been filed till Friday, according to Tarun Bajaj. Today, more than 20 lakh returns have been filed.

"Out of the total three lakh ITRs have been filed in the last hour. This year 60 lakh more returns have been filed," he said.

"No proposal to extend deadline to file income tax returns; the date of 31 December 2021 remains the official deadline," the Revenue Secretary added.

Meanwhile, taxpayers who have not e-verified their ITRs for 2019-20 fiscal can complete the verification process by February 28, 2022, as the Income Tax department has given a one-time relaxation to assessees, according to a PTI report. As per law, an income tax return (ITR), filed electronically without a digital signature, has to be verified electronically through Aadhaar OTP, or net-banking, or code sent through demat account, pre-validated bank account and ATM within 120 days of filing the return. Alternatively, taxpayers can send a physical copy of the ITR filed to the Centralised Processing Centre (CPC) office in Bengaluru.

If the verification process, which is done through ITR-V form, is not complete, then it is considered that the return has not been filed.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in a circular dated December 28, said a large number of electronically filed ITRs for the Assessment Year 2020-21, still remain pending with the Income Tax department for want of receipt of a valid ITR-V Form at CPC, Bengaluru or pending e-Verification from the taxpayers concerned.

“In respect of all lTRs for Assessment Year 2020-21 (fiscal 2019-20) which were uploaded electronically by the taxpayers within the time allowed… and which have remained incomplete due to non-submission of ITR-V Form… the Board… hereby permits verification of such returns either by sending a duly signed physical copy of ITR-V to CPC, Bengaluru through speed post or through EVC/OTP modes. Such verification process must be completed by February 28, 2022,” the CBDT said.