As the extended deadline for income tax return (ITR) filing ends on Monday, filers are hurrying to comply, with more than 1 crore returns anticipated on the final day. As of now, 6.29 crore returns have been filed for the assessment year (AY) 2025–26.
But some tax payers seeking relief from the cumbersome process of filing the ITR on this last day, a viral circular about an extension of the deadline has offered them some relief.
The claim
A message circulating on WhatsApp and social media claims that the Income Tax Return (ITR) filing deadline for AY 2025–26 has been extended to September 30, 2025. The notice even carried the CBDT's name, adding many to postpone their plans to file the ITR by a few days.
Fact check:
The Income Tax Department has clarified via its official handle that the last date for filing ITRs (originally July 31, 2025, and extended once to September 15, 2025) remains September 15, 2025. No further extension has been announced.
"A fake news is in circulation stating that the due of filing ITRs ... has been further extended to 30.09.2025. The due date for filing ITRs remains 15.09.2025," the Income Tax department tweeted.
Falling for this fake circular can cost tax payers dearly. There's a Rs 5,000 late filing penalty for incomes above Rs 5 lakh; Rs 1,000 for incomes below Rs 5 lakh (u/s 234F). It must be noted that revised returns can be filed till December 31, 2025 and updated returns (ITR-U) till March 31, 2030. If there's unpaid tax, however, there will be 1 percent interest.
Post filing the ITR, there's a crucial step for tax payers, ie: e-verify the ITR within 30 days for refunds to be processed.
That said, the viral message about an ITR deadline extension to September 30 is fake. The final due date for AY 2025–26 ITR filing is September 15, 2025.
