ITR deadline extended to August 31? Beware of fake news, warns Income Tax Department (2024)

The Income Tax department has issued a warning about fake news that was published in a popular newspaper in Gujarat. The department stated that a clipping of the news is circulating on social media, claiming that the date for e-filing of ITR has been extended to August 31, 2024. The department clarified that this information is fake, and that the last date to file ITR for FY2023-24 is July 31, 2024.

Missing ITR filing deadline can cost you much more than just late filing fee

According to the Income Tax Department’s social media post on X, “It has come to our knowledge that a clipping of Sandesh news is circulating on social media regarding extension of date of e-filing of ITR. This is FAKE news. Taxpayers are advised to follow updates from the official website/portal of IncomeTaxIndia.”

The tax department has also warned tax filers about a scam doing the rounds with regards to income tax refunds.

Those who are waiting for their refunds, a new kind of scam has surfaced raising concerns. The pretense of tax refunds is being used by scammers to drain people's bank accounts by sending SMS and mail.

"Over 4 crore ITRs have been filed till 22 July 2024, which is over 8% more compared to returns filed during the same period last year. The number of ITRs filed per day has crossed over 15 lakh on 16 July and is expected to increase more on daily basis as the due date of 31st July 2024 is approaching. While the milestone of filing of 1 crore of ITRs for AY 2024-25 arrived on 23rd June 2024, the 2 crore milestone and 3 crore milestone has been achieved on 7th July and 16th July respectively which is also earlier than last year. The 4 crore milestone was achieved on 24 July last year. Taxpayers facing any technical problem related to filing may reach out to our tollfree helpdesk numbers (1800 103 0025 or 1800 419 0025) or Efilingwebmanager@incometax.gov.in ," stated the Income Tax Department's website.

Extend ITR deadline to August 31; 'Why the income tax return filing last date needs to be extended this year'

Technical glitches on e-filing ITR portal
As a matter of fact, many taxpayers and Charted Accountants are facing several issues when filing tax due to various technical glitches. So, many association including ICAI, Karnataka State Chartered Accountants Association (KSCAA) and the All Gujarat Federation of Tax Consultants and Income Tax Bar Association has expressed concerns about the issues with the functioning of the Income Tax Portal and updates in AIS/TIS. The All Gujarat Federation of Tax Consultants and Income Tax Bar Association have requested an extension of the deadline for filing Income Tax Returns for AY 2024-25 from July 31, 2024, to August 31, 2024. The letter sent is addressed to the finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman.

1. Intermittent difficulty in logging into the Income tax portal: On several occasions, stakeholders have reported that they are unable to access the portal to file income tax returns. These disruptions appear to be due to temporary overloading of the system or ongoing maintenance activities, leading to service unavailability. The same is also affecting other compliances on the portal like giving reply to notices, etc.,
2. Numerous instances where they were unable to access or download these vital forms. This problem has resulted in significant loss of time and inefficient use of resources. With the filing deadline only 15 days away, this issue has heightened anxiety among stakeholders. The repercussions of not filing on time are substantial, including penalties, interest charges, and the inability to choose the most suitable taxation scheme.
3. Discrepancy in Pre-filled Data: There is a significant mismatch between the prefilled data on the Income Tax Portal and the information as available in Form 26AS/ AIS. Sometimes, there is inconsistency in the data available in these forms. This discrepancy is causing considerable confusion and panic among the stakeholders. Immediate resolution is needed to ensure data accuracy and reduction of the issues faced by stakeholders.
4. There are ongoing issues for submitting responses to the data in the AIS and TIS sections of the Income Tax Portal. Assessees are encountering difficulties in completing their responses. Additionally, when responses are submitted, there are delays or failures in updating these responses in the AIS or TIS. This problem is affecting the accuracy and timeliness of the information provided and thereby .
5. Difficulty in resetting Password: Stakeholders are experiencing difficulty in resetting their passwords due to the non-generation of OTPs. This issue is causing delays in filing income tax returns.
6. Difficulty in generating challan for payment of tax: There are glitches in generating challans for tax payments on the portal. This issue is causing significant stress for assessees, impacting their ability to pay taxes on time and file their income returns. The potential consequences of late filing or non-filing further demand urgency of resolving this issue.
7. Error Messages popping up during submission of return for filing: During the submission stage of filing returns, unknown and vague error messages are appearing frequently. These errors often lack clear resolutions or explanations, causing significant difficulties for assessees in completing their income tax return filing on time.
8. Difficulty in filing the return of Income: Stakeholders are encountering difficulties in filing their income tax returns due to technical glitches and buffering issues on the Income Tax Portal.
9. Difficulty in e-verifying the return of Income that has been filed: Stakeholders are experiencing difficulties in e-verifying their income tax returns which has been filed, due to non-receipt of OTPs. Additionally, the reduction of the e-verification deadline to 30 days is causing increased anxiety among stakeholders.
10. Generation of multiple OTPs: Due to the failure of OTPs to be generated in real-time, assessees are resorting to generating multiple OTPs. However, none of these OTPs are being validated, causing additional frustration and delays in filing various forms and income tax returns.
11. Difficulty in downloading the ITR receipt: Stakeholders, in several cases, are unable to download the ITR receipt after filing their return.

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